Honour Joe Kadenge: Retired soccer greats make plea for City Stadium renaming

A group of retired soccer players from the Western region have called on the government to honour their promise and rename City Stadium in memory of the late legend Joe Kadenge.

The football maestros yesterday lamented that the renaming of the stadium took too long even after the former Jubilee government vowed to do so in a span of months after his death.

Some of the leaders, they said, who promised to rename the stadium are in the current government.

Veteran football coach Nick Yakhama opined: “We appeal to the current administration to implement what they promised to the family and spirit of our legend Joe Kadenge.”

“We are lucky that the then Deputy President William Ruto is now the head of state, the then ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi is now the Prime Cabinet Secretary, the then Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja is now the Governor while the then Chief Administrative Secretary Ababu Namwamba is now the Sports Cabinet Secretary,” he added.

Speaking in Kakamega town, the retired soccer stars said that the government should appreciate the roles played by former sportspeople in marketing the country to the outside world.

“It is a pity that some of the former sportsmen and women are languishing in poverty at the moment while others, like Kadenge, passed on in embarrassing situations.

We, therefore, urge the government to look in our direction for support,” said Alfred Imonje, another veteran soccer tactician.