Kenya Insights

Tag: Joe Kadenge

  • Political Leader’s Tributes To The Late Football Legend Joe Kadenge

    Political Leader’s Tributes To The Late Football Legend Joe Kadenge

    Kenya’s football legend Joe Kadenge is dead.

    According to the family, Kadenge, who has been ailing for quite a while, passed away on Sunday while undergoing treatment at Meridian hospital in Nairobi.

    The 84 year old succumbed to his constant illness.

    Kadenge’s once robust fame had been turned into a pale shadow of constant illness.

    Joe, the Former Kenyan winger who tortures defenders manning him during his hey days.

    In January 2006, Joe suffered stroke.

    Joe condition worsened as days passed. He collapsed at Camp Toyoyo grounds in Jericho, Nairobi, while watching a football match on December 23.

    President Uhuru Kenyatta expressed his condolences, terming Kadenge’s death as “a loss to the sporting fraternity and our nation.”

    “It is with profound sadness that I have learnt of the demise of Mzee Joe Kadenge. His death is a loss to the sporting fraternity and our nation. Joe exemplified talent, dedication and patriotism. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this time,” said President Kenyatta.

    The President posted his condolences via the official twitter account of the State House of Kenya,

    Deputy President William Ruto also sent his condolences saying “Kadenge was a wonderful man, on and off the pitch; approachable, gentlemanly, courteous and a role model. May his soul rest in peace.”

    “Condolences to the family and friends of football legend Joe Kadenge. At his prime, Kadenge was unplayable; he terrorised defenders with dribbles, nutmegs and was a joy to watch. He raised a family of great footballers: Francis, Evans, Rogers and Oscar, who excelled in the sport,” reads Ruto’s tweet.

    Opposition chief Raila Odinga has also mourned also Kenya’s best ever known winger Kadenge.

    “We have today lost one of the greatest talents to ever grace a football pitch in our national uniform. Joe Kadenge was a true ambassador for the country and Kenyan soccer. May he rest in eternal bliss. May his spirit inspire more young people to pursue the game,” reads Raila’s tweet.

    ANC Party Leader Musalia Mudavadi said was the most legendary of Kenyan footballers and shall be remembered for his exploits on the pitch

    Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula has also sent his condolences to Joe’s family.

    “The curtain has fallen on our football legend Joe Kadenge. His football artistry equaled modern day Thierry Henry, Christian Ronaldo, George Weah, Samuel Etoo etc. We must have a proper policy for the welfare of our sports heroes/heroines. RIP Joe.”

    Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho also sent his condolences to Joe’s family saying Kenyans will miss him because he was part of Our rich football history.

    Sports CS Amina Mohamed had this to say about Joe, “We celebrate Mr. Joe Kadenge as an enviable part of Kenya’s identity and aspire to keep his ever present spirit in the soul of our sporting nation. May the Almighty grant him eternal rest and fortify his family to bear this loss”

    Nairobi governor, Mike Sonko also joined the political fraternity in mourning and sending sincere condolences to the the family of the late Kadenge

  • Legendary Kenyan Footballer Joe Kadenge Is Dead

    Legendary Kenyan Footballer Joe Kadenge Is Dead

    Kenya’s greatest footballer of all time, Mzee Joe Kadenge has passed on at the Meridian hospital in Nairobi.

    His son Oscar has confirmed.

    Kadenge has passed on after a long illness, having suffered a stroke in February.

    Kadenge has been described as the finest footballer ever produced by Kenya.

    He played for Maragoli United scoring the fastest ever goal in the History of the Kenyan Premier League.

    Kadrnge had also played club football for Abaluhya United,current AFC leopardLeopards winning the Kenyan Premier League in 1966.

    Joe also managed the Kenya National Football team in 2002.

    His body has been transferred to Lee Funeral Home.

    He was 84 years old.

    More follows.

  • Joe Kadenge Collapsing From Hunger Says More Than Meets The Eye

    Joe Kadenge Collapsing From Hunger Says More Than Meets The Eye

    Retired soccer legend was rushed to hospital after he collapsed Wednesday while watching a football match at Toyoyo, Nairobi. Medical personnel who rushed him to the hospital said he was not breathing well amid complaints of hunger. The legend famed for ‘Kadenge na mpira’ phrase had been ailing a few weeks but got better and was discharged.

    The story of the kind of life the legend is living has been told a million times, but it lands on deaf years of the government. Kenya is known for caring less about its sports legends when girlfriends and family members of sports officials are given free rides and accommodations to Olympics.

    The manner in which sports are treated in this country is so biased that some benefit at the expense of others. Soccer is the biggest sport in the world, but it’s not treated with the same respect in Kenya despite the country having produced some of the best players in the region.

    We are not strangers to the number of times Harambee Stars players have complained of unpaid allowances or have been on the go slow for the same reason. This has affected the performance of the national to the extent of toppling them from being a top team in Eastern Africa.

    The Kenya that would hold soccer greats like Nigeria, Cameroon in the mid-nineties is no more due to poor leadership and lack of government support. The majority of Kenyan soccer players are from Western and Nyanza; the regions have no proper stadia or any good soccer facility to write home. Scouting of new talents is mostly done in Nairobi locking out many upcoming soccer stars in those parts of the world.

    Not just Joe Kadenge, the entire soccer fraternity is not treated like athletics. Over 90% of the runners are from Rift Valley, that’s where scouting is done though neighboring regions like Kisii has produced good long distance runners too, Western has the potential to produce short distance runners, but the focus remains only in North Rift.

    The region (Eldoret) boasts of the good sports facilities, 64 Stadium received a good face lift, in fact; Olympic trials were held there. Athletics legends have been appointed to the administration of the sport they once excelled in. The 1972 Olympic legend Kipchoge Keino who is now tainted by corruption is the chairman of Nock (National Olympic Committee of Kenya).

    Kadenge is ignored and left to languish in abject poverty but God forbid the day the worst will happen, the government will rush to take care of the funeral expenses, politicians will cling on any desperate reason and tell stories to identify with the family. They will not mean any good but that will only provide a better platform for politics and opportunity to woo the community’s vote.

    It’s a shame that the most celebrated soccer legend in Kenya collapsed due to hunger, he is a hustling taxi driver who recently could not afford kshs 95,000 for the eye operation and had to depend on good wishers to step on the bill.