Former Kenya Sevens rugby coach and player Benjamin Ayimba is dead, his family has announced.

Ayimba passed away on Friday night at the Kenyatta National Hospital where he had been receiving treatment for cerebral malaria.

He had been battling the disease for the last three months at Avenue Healthcare Hospital before his family came out and made a public appeal to help ffset his ballooning medical bill last month.

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President Uhuru Kenyatta contributed Sh1 million to help offset his medical bills backed by ODM leader Raila Odinga and Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja and the general public.

After clearing his huge medical bill at Avenue Hospital last month he sought specialised medical attention from KNH on April 10 after being in and out of hospital since late 2020.

Benjamin Ayimba. PHOTO/COURTESY

He served as the Kenya national rugby team captain in the Kenya 7s and 15s teams before first being appointed Shujaa head coach in 2006 while playing for the national team.

Ayimba is celebrated for coaching Kenya’s rugby team to its one and only title at the Singapore 7s World Rugby Sevens Series in 2016 and is considered the most successful Kenya Sevens coach.