[Photo/the-star.co.ke]
Kenyan football legend, Joe Khadenge is a loved man. He attracts interest from people across the divide and his sly smile is one that keeps people cherishing him, remembering his greatest achievements as a footballer and Kenyan who loves the game.
It is just under two years since Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta, paid him a courtesy call and left him a bag of goodies including Ksh. 2 million for medical cover as he battled high blood pressure and Diabetes, according to close relatives.
On Tuesday, Joe Khadenge received yet another rare guest, this time, NASA Presidential candidate, Raila Odinga.
The former premier traced Kadenge’s home in Mariakani, Nairobi on Tuesday afternoon even as political tension in the country hit a new level high. The two seemingly had a good time together and as is the case, Kadenge is a man endeared to so many Kenyans, from paupers to the rich and back.
Raila Odinga in his statement after the visit reiterated Kenyans’ love for sports and their contribution to the heritage of the nation. It should be remembered that Joe Kadenge wowed fans of the sixties and was in the team that won the first Kenya Premier League in 1966 with Abaluhya United. He is also celebrated for being the first player to score a premier league goal, a record that no one else will ever break.
It is however not yet clear if the NASA leader left behind any bag of goodies for the former Harambee Stars coach, as was in Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit. But the former premier has promised to make numerous policy changes, a system that will see former players catered for.