Celebrated Kenya 7s legend Benjamin Ayimba is dead

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 21 – Kenya Sevens legend and former head coach Benjamin Ayimba is dead.

Ayimba, who was the most decorated Kenya 7s head coach after guiding Kenya to its first ever World Rugby Sevens Series Main Cup title in 2016 at the Singapore 7, passed away on Friday evening at Kenyatta National Hospital where he was undergoing cerebral malaria treatment.

“Unfortunately we have lost our legend Benjamin Ayimba, we continue praying for his family for strength during this trying period,” family spokesman and former Kenya Sevens player Oscar Osir confirmed to Capital Sport

“Benjamin succumbed to the multiple complications he was being treated for over the past couple of months. The family and close friends would like to extend their deepest gratitude for the prayers and the overwhelming moral and financial support that you all have offered during Benjamin’s last days. May the Almighty God rest Benjamin’s soul in peace,” Osir said.

Ayimba was admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital private wing April 9 and has been receiving treatment while at the High Dependency Care (HDU) but his condition worsened for the past few days and was pronounced dead this evening.

Ayimba’s death is a sad day for not only Kenyan rugby but sports at large since he brought glory to the country during his heydays as player where he was a captain and later on as head coach.  

Ayimba, the former Kenya 7s and 15s Captain, is the most successful local Kenya Sevens Coach, having written history by guiding Kenya to its first ever World Sevens Series Cup title in 2016, winning the Singapore 7s after stunning Fiji 30-7.

Ayimba represented Kenya at Rugby Sevens World Cups (2001 and 2005) as a player. His first appointment as Kenya 7s head coach came in 2006, replacing his coach at Impala Bill Githinji, a position he held to 2011.

During his tenure in 2009 he guided Kenya to its first ever World Series Cup Final in Adelaide, Australia losing 26-7 to South Africa.

Ayimba made a comeback to the national team set up in 2015 as head coach, and he guided Kenya to its first ever Cup title in Singapore the following year (2016).