Football legend Joe Kadenge to be buried tomorrow in Vihiga

Kenyan football legend Joe Kadenge will be laid to rest on Saturday at his home in Hamisi, Vihiga County.

His body was flown from Kakamega on Thursday to Vihiga where friends and family held a memorial service at the Bukhungu Stadium.

The burial is expected to be attended by hundreds of mourners ranging among them locals, football legends and politicians.

A memorial service was held for the late Kadenge in Nairobi on Wednesday at the Friends Church on Ngong Road where family and friends gathered to pay their last respects to the football legend.

ODM leader Raila Odinga, Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula were among the mourners who turned up.

Kadenge died on July 7 at the Meridian Hospital in Nairobi after a long battle with reoccurring stroke.

The former Abaluhya United player who won the league in 1966 has been in and out of the hospital but succumbed on Sunday while receiving treatment according to his family.

Kadenge is considered as the most decorated player in Kenyan history and has died aged 84.

Family spokesman Chris Mbwanga had said burial will roughly cost Sh5 million.

A fundraiser was held on Tuesday at Charter Hall in Nairobi to help the family ahead of the burial

Raila who attended the fundraiser said plans have been finalised to rename Nairobi’s City Stadium in honour of the late Joe Kadenge.

He said he made the request to President Uhuru Kenyatta who accepted and both have formally spoken to Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko to ensure this happens soon.

“Joe was a legend. And that is why I proposed to President Kenyatta on the possibility of renaming City Stadium in his honour,” said Raila. “We both have spoken with Sonko and has agreed to fast track the process,” he added.