HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 1074369,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1074369/?format=api",
"text_counter": 30,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13131,
"legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
"slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
},
"content": "has been to ensure that our sports men and women grow and perfect their God-given talents and subsequently earn a livelihood through such efforts. It is, therefore, against this background that I make this statement in recognition of the contributions of the late Benjamin Ayimba for close to two decades. Benja as he was informally known amongst his friends and within the rugby circles was an icon extraordinaire, whose transition on the 21st of May having lost the battle to Cerebral Malaria has left many who knew and admired his sporting talent at a loss. This is a gap to both the family and the rugby fraternity in this country and in this region that we will struggle to fill for the longest time. The late Ayimba was, indeed, a prolific talented rugby player on the pitch and an astute coach, a husband and father. From the onset, I wish to recognize the late Ayimba’s traits; traits that have contributed not only to his illustrious career as a rugby player and coach, but also contributed to placing Kenya at the highest pedestal globally in the sport. His journey was characterized by persistence, willpower and resilience to succeed against all odds. Those who knew him in his early childhood and teenage days describe him as having had extraordinary traits, born and raised in a humble family setting, his rise to stardom began way back in the early 1980s at the Olympic Primary School in Kibra, Nairobi. Following his stint at Maseno School, his then Deputy Principal noted that as I quote, “he was an all-round sportsman.” As he participated and won in track, field events and soccer, he seemed to have a keen eye on rugby. A journey that saw him leverage on his talent and opportunities, hence his achievements as both a rugby player and coach. One of the articles that has been done describes him and summarizes his rugby talent as a mixture of brute strength, pace and dexterity that has never been witnessed in the rugby field with wonderful evasive skills for the backrow and the build of a front-row. Those who know rugby will understand what I have explained. Indeed, all of us who have watched him on the pitch and interacted with him can relate to the statement. I remember when I first met him in 2002 after the floodlit tournaments, I told him that I will one day be the captain of the rugby team and he laughed, but that began a very close friendship after that. Mr. Speaker, Sir, apart from the late Ayimba’s notable traits, that brought honour to this country through the rugby sport, the Committee recognizes and notes his tremendous achievements spanning two decades. I am honoured that these achievements will forever remain in the record of this House and the record of this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, just to highlight a few, Benja played for Nondescripts in 2002, Cornish Pirates in England between 2003-2005 and the Kenya National Team from 2006. He captained Impala now known as Impala Saracens to two championships, the Kenya Cup in 2000 and the Enterprise Cup in 2001. He represented Kenya at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games. He was part of the Kenyan squad that featured in two Rugby World Cups Seven Series in 2001 and 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens tournaments in Argentina and in Hong Kong, respectively. He coached the Sevens team between 2006 and 2011 and subsequently in 2009, secured the first ever IRB World Series Main Cup Finals in Adelaide, Australia."
}