Playbook for solve the issue in Tower of pip install openshift / kubernetes

k8s-tower.yaml

#!/usr/bin/env ansible-playbook
# Installs the company specific virtual environments for Python properly
# into the Tower environment following the Ansible Tower environment notes:
# URL: https://docs.ansible.com/ansible-tower/3.3.4/html/upgrade-migration-guide/virtualenv.html
# 
# NOTE: Requires the EPEL repository to install the python2-pip package.
#
# Usage:
#   $ sudo ./setup_venvs.yml -i inventory.sand_swn01.ini
#
---
- hosts:
    - tower
    - playground
  gather_facts: false

  vars:
    venvs:
      # Setup the Kubernetes virtual environment
      - dirname: Kubernetes
        modules:
          - k8s
          - openshift
          - requests
        prereqs:
          - gcc

  tasks:
  - name: "Ensure pip is installed"
    # NOTE: This is from the EPEL repository.
    yum:
      name: python2-pip
      state: latest

  - name: "Ensure pip has latest tools"
    # Notes taken from the Ansible container page:
    # https://docs.ansible.com/ansible-container/installation.html
    pip:
      name:
        - setuptools
      extra_args: --upgrade

  - name: "Install packages OUTSIDE Tower virtual environments"
    # Necessary to make 'openshift' for the 'k8s' module.
    pip:
      name:
        - openshift
      extra_args: --ignore-installed

  - name: "Install Python virtual environment packages"
    yum:
      name:
        - python-virtualenv
      state: latest

  - name: "Install pip module required packages"
    yum:
      name: "{{ item.prereqs }}"
      state: latest
    loop: "{{ venvs }}"
    when: item.prereqs is defined

  - name: "Clean out old venv directories"
    file:
      path: "/var/lib/awx/venv/{{ item.dirname }}"
      state: absent
    become: true
    loop: "{{ venvs }}"

  - name: "Create the venv skeleton directory"
    file:
      path: "/var/lib/awx/venv/{{ item.dirname }}"
      state: directory
    become: true
    loop: "{{ venvs }}"

  - name: "Install base Tower packages"
    pip:
      name:
        - python-memcached
        - psutil
      umask: "0022"
      state: latest
      virtualenv: "/var/lib/awx/venv/{{ item.dirname }}"
      virtualenv_site_packages: yes
      extra_args: --ignore-installed
    loop: "{{ venvs }}"

  - name: "Install requested packages in virtual env"
    pip:
      name: "{{ item.modules }}"
      umask: "0022"
      state: latest
      virtualenv: "/var/lib/awx/venv/{{ item.dirname }}"
      virtualenv_site_packages: yes
      extra_args: --ignore-installed
    loop: "{{ venvs }}"

Run from the Tower as root user. Dirty but works... as always :D