Maina Kageni- Who Cares?

On Thursday 20th September on Classic FM's Maina and King'ang'i in the morning;

KINGANGI: Maina hii weekend ni kali sana Gor na AFC wanakutana kiwanjani!
MAINA: who cares....!!?

This is my tweet on 7th September 2012

kenyatta otieno ‏@stuttistician

Thanks @mwalimukingangi 4 TPL big up @mainakageni attending is not abt how U feel abt AFC/Tusker but endorsing our own ask@Carolinemutoko

Maina Kageni, with all due respect, I will write to you this open letter. I know you host one of the most listened to Breakfast Shows this side of the Sahara. Together with a man I have respect for, you hold the country captive for three good hours. To be candid, I dont own a radio so I rarely listen to your show. The few times I have caught you in a car or a matatu, minus the content, I have appreciated your chemistry and your presentation, you know your job.

I am writing this in regard to the above quotes on social media. I know you are a Manchester United fan, but who cares? My problem with you is not in your lack of appreciation of local football but in pouring cold water on King'ang'i as he tries to big up the local version of the beautiful game.

You may have grown up on the Western end of town, Who Cares? That does not mean that the Eastlands side was uninhabited. If we did not have Eastlands, how would King'ang'i have mastered his humour? He happens to be the best local talent you can work with.

I agree our football still has  a long way to go, but it is good to appreciate how far we have come. Four years ago, I started going to watch KPL matches due to the influence of two people; My good friend Eugene and your colleague Carilline Mutoko.

The terraces were empty, but a handful of us would seat through the matches undeterred. There was no entrance fee, how could you even think of charging. Someone could afford to buy everyone at the VIP stand ground nuts; but Who Cares?

Fast- Forward and you hear of clubs raising up to KSH. 5,000,000 in gate collection- TUMETOKA MBALI. Players can at least earn a decent living from playing football and corporates are back into the game. I know you don't care about all this information, BUT WHO CARES?

Football is good for the young energetic bodies from the low middle class and low class neighbourhoods. By the time they stop playing football, they are mature enough to know that crime and anti-social behaviour does not pay. It is not only you, but many like you who don't care about this fact.

Football has been used a s a social integration tool the world over. The warring factions in Ivory Coast's civil war called for a ceasefire after a football match in the rebel stronghold. Spain- a country divided by Catalonia, Basque and the Royal Spanish sectarian politics has always been held together by football. Kenya, can use this to bridge the gaps in our tribal divide, but WHO CARES?

There is no change in the world that has happened without the involvement of the middle class which you belong to Mr. Maina Kageni. It is the middle class who can transform our football, but WHO CARES. I have respect for Elly Kalekwa, this man has transformed Kenyan football, not by words, but by deeds. He has a lot of money to spend on top of the range cars and a lavish lifestyle, but HE CARED so much for the local football players that he formed SOFAPAKA FC despite being a foreigner.

Maina Kageni, Manchester United is over a century old. You are supporting it because someone cared so much for British football long before your grandfather was born. He is long gone now but you can enjoy the product of his cares. Our Mathare United, AFC Leopards', Gor and Sofapaka can be better than Manchester and Real Madrid combined if people like you cared. We have the advantage of learning from their achievements and mistakes.

I know you will say you are entitled to your opinion, oh yes Mr. Kageni. If so, the Mr. Sang could not be facing charges of crimes against humanity at the Hague, he was also airing an opinion. When you have the privilege of speaking behind a microphone to pass a message to the whole country, it is never about your opinion.

As I tweeted the tweet above; it is not always about you and how you feel. Meanwhile, we will love our Tusker Premier League as always, because people like me care less about Manchester United and such outfits.

Then again- WHO CARES, continue supporting that club that does not even know you exist. Keep watering your neighbours lawn and complain at the top of your voice that the grass is never green on your side, because WHO CARES!