Kadondis burial postponed to next week

Former Harambee Starlets goalkeeper Rosemary ‘Mara’ Kadondi will be laid to rest on Saturday next week at her home in Sori, Homa Bay County.

The burial was initially slated for October 17 before it was postponed to pave way for the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) national elections, according to  Vice President Doris Petra.

Petra says it would have been difficult for the federation staff to be part of Kadondi’s last journey, had the ceremony gone on as earlier planned.

“I personally went to her place in Nairobi and urged the family to postpone the burial to a further date because on October 17 most of us of us will not be able to show up for the burial. I thank the family for agreeing to change the date because all of us would want to be there,” said Petra.

The body, currently lying at St. Francis Mortuary Kasarani will be transferred on October 22 to her community based Organization (CBO) in Dandora before being taken to Hom Bay on for the burial ceremony.

Petra has eulogised Kadondi as a dedicated member of the Harambee Starlets technical bench till her demise.

“Mara was the Kits Manager and doubled up as assistant goalkeeper trainer. She would also take the team through physical training, with her there was no gap. On a match days, she could be in the playing field three hours before the rest of the team to prepare the dressing room and guard it,” recalled Petra.

Besides her football career, Kadondi will be remembered for her Community Based Organization in Dandora, majoring in rehabilitation of youths with various psycho-social challenges.

The long-serving keeper played for Starlets from 1995 to 2012 and featured in Africa Women Cup of Nations (Awcon) qualifiers against Djibouti and Cameroon in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

She was also part of the squad that represented Kenya in the Africa Women Championship in 2014 where Kenya lost 1-0 to Rwanda’s She Wasps.

Apart from playing for the National team, she also played for local clubs Makongeni Youth Club, Makolanders and Minicuca.

She also impressed during stints in Wales, London and Dallas Texas in 1994 and 2004 respectively. Kadondi passed on after battling illness since early 2020, on October 4 at a Nairobi hospital.