Veteran radio journalist Leonard Mambo Mbotela has heavily criticised Kenyans over their "hypocrisy" in condoling with the family of the late football legend Joe Kadenge.
He expressed his distaste of how people were now shedding crocodile tears sending endless messages to the family of the deceased.
Speaking to The Standard, he singled out President Uhuru Kenyatta as the only prominent person who genuinely cared and showed affection to Kadenge.
“Apart from President Uhuru Kenyatta who visited him at his home and offered to support him, none of those falling over themselves to send condolences did anything for him," remarked Mbotela.
Mbotela went on to castigate the numerous folks currently mourning the fallen football giant.
“It is all pure showoff and I term it hypocritical. The government takes the biggest flack for ignoring him and letting him down, yet he did so much for this country,
”It pains me that he died in the condition he did and those who knew Kadenge also share my pain and disappointment. We should not be praising him now that he is dead yet we did nothing to make his life better,” he added painfully.
The renowned journalist then recounted his first interaction with Kadenge, which was over 40 years ago, when the former still worked for the Ministry of Public Works.
“Even then, he loved football and was engaged in it fully while also finding time to scout for talent. He used to identify players who had an interest in football, train them and take them to other clubs," Mbotela wistfully recalled.
Mbotela is known for the popular phrase "Kadenge na mpira", which he first coined in 1966, as he commentated the game on KBC (formerly VOK) when Kadenge was playing for Kenya in the Gossage Cup.
The late football maestro passed on at Meridian Hospital, Nairobi, on Sunday morning, where he had been rushed to receive medical attention following a relapse of stroke.
Thousands of Kenyans have echoed their sadness and sent tonnes of condolence messages to his family following his untimely demise.
