When former Harambee Stars player Kevin Ochieng was at the zenith of his career on football, he knew that the best package he can reward himself is planning for his retirement.
35-Year-old Kevin ‘Master’ Ochieng as he was referred to by many played for a host of Kenyan clubs before playing for a short while in Oman at Al-Shabab SC in 2008.
Besides his passion in football which he made a career out of, he spent his earnings wisely and soon after opened a popular joint in Nairobi, Master’s Lounge in Umoja.
After returning to Kenya from Oman, he joined Mathare United and it was a good year as Master’s Lounge thrived in the business and became a popular joint in the city.
He left Mathare for Sofapaka and ended his football career in Gor Mahia when he decided to concentrate on his business which was the lounge.
At the time, it was doing so well and could cater for the needs of his family but this would come tumbling down one day in 2014 as thugs raided his premises and left with all he had invested for 17 years.
“What I had worked for 17 years to build was totally brought down in 17 minutes. I was devastated. My source of income was now gone yet I had a family to take care of and bills to pay,” he told Nation.
Angry, frustrated and helpless, he decided to fly out to Berlin, Germany when an opportunity presented itself and where he has been working in the hospitality industry.
He averred that from a tender age, he had a liking for this particular industry which is why he invested in Master’s Lounge.
Ochieng maintained that his networking helped him rebuild a life around the things he loved in life, a lesson fellow footballer should learn from him adding that it is a short career that requires proper planning when one signs their first contract.
“I have always had a passion in the hospitality industry and that is why I actually started Master’s Lounge. After Master’s Lounge crumbled, God gave me a second chance that changed my life when I could have easily fallen into depression. Through my networks, I got an opportunity in Berlin where I currently work in a restaurant. I am very happy,” he stated.
