As I publish the views of this Kenyan CEO of Sahel books, let me emphasize that I will also publish any similar sentiments from PNU, ODM-K etc. This blog is not an ODM blog as some of our detractors would gleefully like to proclaim at the slightest excuse. -Kumekucha-
Ladies and gentlemen, the Hon. Odinga is God's choice to lead Kenya.
A race that started in the eighties is set to end on the 27th. The Hon. Odinga has given it all he had...and then more. If you took time to look at the way this race has been run, you'll recall the moments when it looked tough. When it was downright dishertening. When giving up seemed like the easier, sensible thing to do. But the Hon. Odinga shouldered on. His love for the nation supereceded the pull of comfort and bliss. And so as we get ready for the elections, you need to have a rationale for doing so. Here is why you'll vote for the Hon. Odinga.
1. First and foremost, the Hon. Odinga loves Kenya. Ladies and gentlemen, we're talking about a man who is an accomplished businessman, a wealthy individual who could afford to sit quietly in his Karen home and watch Kenya dwindle into total chaos. But he won't. Instead, he's been out there, through the Moi dictatorship and the Kibaki treachery, keeping Kenyans hoping for a better day. He led us to Kamukunji, to defeat the Uhuru Project, to defeat te referendum and brought us the concept of primaries. At last, that day is about to dawn on the land we all love.
2. The Hon. Odinga is a man of the people. I've personally watched how Kenyans in the diaspora, even those who disagree with him, react after interacting with him. He won't dazzle you with the oratorical skills of Dr. Martin Luther King or President bill Clinton, but he'll leave you with the sense of a man who has a vision and a place he wants to take Kenya. For the Hon. Odinga, Kenya is not where she needs to be until our children won't go to bed hungry, our workers will be employed gainfully and our communities will live in harmony one with another. The andearing names...Agwambo, Tinga, Hummer...din't fall from te sky. They are people's way of saying, "He's our man." So when someone asks why you'll vote for this man, tell him/her that it's because he cares about the people. Yes, he gives a damn.
3. The Hon. Odinga is incorruptible. You've all heard about Anglo-Leasing, Goldenberg and all the other corrupt dealings invloving people we've entusted with leadership. Needless to say, in the nearly three decades we've been blest to have the Hon. Odinga around, his name has never come up in any provable corruption. There have been attempts to smear him, but you and I know where that came from. So when you get into that booth to vote, remember that you're voting for an untainted man.
4. The Hon. Odinga is an internationalist. You've repeatedly heard insular leaders preach the virtues of keeping Kenya tied up within her borders. That's a recipe for being left behind in a world that's getting smaller and more interconnected. The Hon. Odinga has cultivated and nurtured working relations with leaders all over the world. Should any eventuality arise that requires sister nations around the globe to be with kenya in her time of need, these nations will act faster and with open arms because of Hon. Odinga's friendship.
5. The Hon. Odinga is trustworthy. Unlike his opponent, President Kibaki, the Hon. Odinga is a man of his word. The PNU has worked hard to give the MOUs a bad name. And why not? Wasn't it President Kibaki who signed the original MOU and gladly walked away from it? And wasn't it him who wanted to sign one with vijana and buckled at the last minute? Is this a man to trust? Here's what I know. That when the Hon. Odinga gives you his word, you can take it to the bank. His memory is good. And his intentions are noble. He'll deliver.
6. The Hon. Odinga is a family man. You ask yourself why that matters? Here's why. Did you know that President Moi had a wife? His children didn't come from Nakumatt. They were born. But did we have a first lady? No. Because we were led by a broken family. Then came President Kibaki. The man has Lucy. And the man has Mary. The two women have put us through the kind of drama that I won't talk about here. The point is, a man who can't run a family can't run a nation. So when the time comes to vote, vote for a man who has given us the graceful, the dignified, the motherly and the respectable Ida. With her watching over the big house everything will be just fine. So if you want Kenyans to eat well cooked Ugali, give the oludhkuon to Mama Ida.
Fellow Kenyans, when you walk into that booth on the 27th, keep in mind these six points as you vote for the Hon. Odinga. We want you to feel good and proud about your vote. And remember, bring along everybody you know who has registered to vote to the booth. Let's all participate in wrestling Kenya from the men who have presided over gloom and defeat.
Kindest regards,
Sam Okello
President & CEO
Sahel Books Inc.
P.o. Box 6451
South Bend IN, 46660-6451
USA
Phone: Toll Free: 1.877.297.2435
samokello@sahelpublishing.net
www.sahelpublishing.net
