Joe Kadenge (to be) honoured posthumously with Nairobi road
By Collins OmuloJust a little over two months after his death, Kenyan football legend Joe Kadenge could soon have a road named after him.
This comes after Nairobi’s South B residents called for City Hall to rename a road in the area, Kipiti Cresent Road, after the late football legend.
The late Kadenge lived at Mariakani Estate in South B until his demise at Meridian Hospital in Nairobi on July 7 at the age of 84 after long battle with stroke.
Majority Whip and South B MCA Ms Chege Waithera, through a notice of motion on Thursday at the County Assembly, echoed the calls by her residents saying that renaming the road after Kadenge would be the best fitting tribute the county government could give to the football icon’s legacy.
The MCA has asked her counterparts to support her motion calling for the renaming of the road to Joe Kadenge Cresent Road in honour of the late football icon who was a resident of the area and was regarded as the finest footballer to ever grace the country’s football scene as evident in his valiant efforts in guiding Harambee Stars to win the inaugural East and Central Africa Challenge Cup.
SINCE INDEPENDENCE
“…the country has since independence named and renamed roads to honour heroes and heroines who have contributed immensely to the development of the republic,” said Ms Waithera.
She pointed out that renaming of roads and other public places after heroes and heroines bestows honour and shows gratitude to such people.
“…there are heroins and heroes who have not had similar honours bestowed upon them despite their immense contributions to this country. Also recognising that name of roads have changed before to reflect names and places with sgnificnce to Kenyans,” she said.
The Senate had also proposed that Nyayo National Stadium be renamed after the Kenyan football icon.
The Constitution of Kenya provides for the functions and powers of County Government on county transport including county roads, street lighting public road transport traffic and parking.
Several sons and daughters of the soil have been immortalised by having roads in Nairobi named after them for example Nobel laureate Prof Wangari Maathai, Charles Rubia, Argwings Kodhek, Tom Mboya, Cardinal Moses Otunga, among others.