Erick Situma – rest, my friend. You’ve left like a gentle breeze, your true nature…
Some time, in 2003, Stu asked to have a chat with me “if you have a few minutes”. Typical Stu. Very polite. “What is, Okhu Stu?,” I asked. He then explained a proposal he had for an age grade programme for Impala. I’m not sure why he targeted me with the idea. Now I will never know. I was heading development at KRU but wasn’t really playing at Impala, any more…
Anyhow, he went through his proposal to introduce Rugby at primary schools close to Impala – Jamhuri, Joseph Kang’ethe and Toi. It was as simple as it was clear. It was something Stu would think up…
I had played with Stu several years back. He was mostly at fullback, where he went on to play for Kenya. Occasionally, he would play at fly half. I still remember, as captain, his run to score and convert for us to draw 22-22 against Nondescripts in 1997. In the first 10 minutes, Nondies had run up a 22-0 score. They were quite a phenomenon then. Impala had barely returned to Kenya Cup.
I still clearly remember him missing the kick, against KCB, at his almer mater – Nairobi School, that would have won us Kenya Cup in 1998. KCB had nothing to lose but Impala had had the form of its life, in attack and defence, and had the Cup in sight… We ended up runners up.
In the course of that league game, the skies opened up unbelievably! He couldn’t place the ball on the kicking tee. The ‘river’ on the pitch kept sweeping the ball away. The posts were barely visible, in the pouring rain. Philip Mwenesi, our regular centre, injured on the day, stood holding an umbrella behind the posts. Philip actually thought he scored initially but, the ball JUST veered off… I would have loved to know the things that went on in his mind. Now, I will never know.
Anyway, his proposal lit up several bulbs in my head. I was astounded by its potential for the game, as a whole, not just Impala. “Stu, come to the office on Monday and let’s talk more about this”… He came. Maybe not on time 
But, he came…
I asked him whether he’d like to start immediately on the project, in an expanded form, for the Kenya Rugby Union, rather than just Impala. He agreed.
So begun his unflinching, committed relationship with formal game development. It became his career even though he was a trained science teacher with a Bachelor of Education from Egerton University. His playing for Impala while at the university in Njoro is a story on its own…
To appreciate the sheer capacity of this man to achieve in his chosen passion, one would have to think of the enormity of the task. Unlike now when Kenya’s Rugby exploits are on the lips of Kenya, at the public primary school level, it was then pretty much ‘There is a game called Rugby. We use this kind of ball’. The little that was known was all wrong stereotyping.
In fact, Stu got chased out of several schools by headmasters. He kept the faith, with a smile so engaging, it can only come from a person so pure of heart. Rugby still isn’t a formal sport in public primary schools. In Stu’s memory, that still is a to do. The beauty is that we trialled a national model with him in 2009…
Soon after intro to KRU, Stu would be at the heart of community rugby, girls’ and women’s rugby and grounds. He coordinated all the game development project and they were all better off for his touch. He loved grounds. I will never forget how the Impala and RFUEA Grounds looked during the 2009 IRB Junior World Trophy, after his supervision. I didn’t think those levels would ever be possible locally.
Stu loved to coach. When he came to me with his age grade proposal, he was coaching Nazarene University. Nazarene was in the lower reaches of the Eric Shirley Shield. In spite of that, he put in monumental effort. He enjoyed talking of their little successes. Their improvements. Their disappointments. I would have liked to know what drove him so, in a cause most sane coaches wouldn’t touch. Now, I’ll never know. My guess, though, is that it was pure generosity.
“Ollows, can you find me a coach? We have formed Homeboyz RFC and I am sure you can hook us with a coach,” said Myke Rabar. I knew Rabar from college days and didn’t mind applying myself to the task. “Let me have a thought,” I told Myke.
The Stu choice wasn’t difficult. I wasn’t sure convincing him would be easy, though. Well, he agreed. He set himself a target of gaining promotion to Kenya Cup by winning the Shield. He went on to win it in his first season there. The promotion wasn’t to be, however.
See, Homeboyz weren’t an affiliate of KRU. The board ruled that they would have to gain affiliation first before playing in Kenya Cup. For once, the stoic man was deflated. One needs to be a coach to understand how missing a season goal that is within reach feels.
We talked. He took the affiliation process personally. We added another 16 teams to the affiliation listing to reflect the growing game nationally. Then, approached Impala to lead the lobbying for the 2010 AGM. Homeboyz, and Stu, had done their homework. They won the ESS. The affiliation sailed through easily.
Stu’s Kenya Cup coaching begun in earnest. However, in 2011, he became the 2nd IRB (now World Rugby) Trainer in Kenya. I had been the 1st in 2007. In Rugby, these trainers train educators who develop coaches and match officials. He became very busy with national training work.
Somewhere in 2011, Kirori Mindo, a friend who was in Nakuru RFC Committee, called me. “Loxx, find me a coach”. I knew that Stu was struggling with his schedule and Homeboyz, as a new club, was looking for their pound of flesh. Maybe Nakuru, as a more established club would be more comfortable with more or less a consultant coaching approach.
I approached Stu with the idea. He agreed. Homboyz had restructured to give him a soft landing. Inspite of the work issues, he preferred to give Nakuru a go. So now, he was coaching Nakuru, 157 km away, from Nairobi! In the 2012/13 season, he won Kenya Cup with Nakuru. How is that for intensity?
I remember those Monday mornings at work in the 2012/13 season. Some of my most enjoyable. He would bring news from the coalface. We would break down the game Nakuru had played. Then we would review based on the preps.
Then we would talk players. Experienced players. Emerging players. Atmosphere. Culture. Challenges… I came down from the MISC Kasarani stands to congratulate him on the Cup. He was near tears. One of the very few times I saw him depart from his cool demeanour. He had grown genuine love for Nakuru Rugby.
It is still unbelievable that unfortunate politics got him out of the KRU. But, you can’t keep a good man down. After my own sojourn at the Union, I was back at Impala chairing the Technical Committee. We were setting up a formal academy with Standard Chartered as partners. There was also an opening at Impala Club for Sports Manager. We went for him.
He was a champion coach but personal circumstances dictated that he returns fully to Nairobi. In the process, he added part time Africa Rugby development work then it became full time. He became a star worker there… You can’t keep a good man down.
So, when I received a call last Wednesday just before 7.30pm from Ramsey Olinga, a friend and now chief executive of Uganda Rugby, asking for Stu’s wife’s phone, my heart sunk! He explained. I didn’t have it. Then, Alex from the Rwandese Rugby Union called. I asked him to go through his phone. It has a code. ‘He’s semi conscious. He can’t give it’ Then I saw the message from Coralie of Africa Rugby.Dread…
Eventually, he got airlifted and I saw him at Aga Khan ICU Saturday night. “Your friend is very sick,” the senior looking nurse kept repeating… The News came yesterday morning and i am just out of my stupor… A gentler soul you couldn’t find.
Okhu Stu, rest my friend. Rest. You still have a kicking date with our guys. Plan the session. Rugby is the game they play in heaven. Say hello to all those Rugbymen and women especially the latest World Rugby additions Jean Luc Barthes, Beth Coalter and, of course, Jonah Lomu…
You graced the world, my friend.
