Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Oyugis Town.
A huge crowd of people who gathered at the weekend at Ongino Secondary School in Kokwanyo Location, Oyugis Division, Kasipul-Kabondo in Rachuonyo South district unanimously endorsed the candidature of the former country director of Marie Stoppie Clinics Cyprian Otieno Awiti.
The Harambee fund drive was in favor of Ongino Secondary School and was presided by a Nairobi based businessman James Onyango K’Oyoo.
Also in attendance was another aspirant for the same Homa-Bay County Governor seat Eng.Phillip Okoth Okundi, the immediate former Rangwe MP and the current chairman of the Communication Council of Kenya {CCK}.
A total of Kshs 700,000 was realized with the guest of honor Onyango K’Oyoo donating Kshs 100,000, the chairman of the board of governors Prof. Keya donated Kshs 100,000, Cyprian Otieno Awiti Kshs 100,000, former Ndhiwa MP Tom Okello Odongo gave Kshs 15,000 while Eng. Okundi gave 30,000 and the Nairobi residents from the area sent Kshs 130,000 through their chairman Nelson Aloys.
Awiti is one of the leading prospective candidates for the Homa-Bay County seat, which has also attracted the youthful technocrat Mark Matunga from Suba, Rangwe MP Martin Otieno Ogindo and others.
Awiti is said to be an action oriented personality who has conducted fund drive for several socio-economic projects throughout the greater Southern Nyanza. His track record in terms of development activities, speaks the loudest and the crowd felt it is time his leadership is tested in a political office.
Last week, Awiti conducted another successful Harambee fund drive meeting for the funeral expenses of the most eligible polygamist in the region, the ate Ancetuns Akuku Ogwela {Danger} who will be buried at His Aora Chuodho Home in Kwabwayio, Ndhiwa district on December 4.
The polygamist died more than one month ago when he collapsed at his home, but owing to the fact that his larger number of children are spread all over the world, his burial date was pushed forward to enable members of his family living abroad to attend the buria.
At the Harambee Awiti told those in attendance to emulate Akuku Denja in leading simple life and loving one another. He told his audience to adhere to Christian teachings and faith, saying despite of being the most eligible polygamist who can only be compared to the Biblical King Solomon, Akuku Danger had all along maintained his Christian faith and virtue, which has enabled him to bring up a good and well disciplined family.
In his larger than size lifestyle, the late Akuku Danger admitted that he had married close to 100 wives and has close to 210 children, but was also not sure how many of his children went away with their divorced mothers.
At the Ongino School gathering women, school children and old men declared their faith in Awiti as the right person for the Senate jobs and assured him of their massive turn out and vote for him when the time comes.
Ends
Have some people begun campaigning for the seats of governors and Senate? We are not going to accept the old tricks of criss-crossing villages with harambees to clinch the seat. It’s time the people of Nyanza should wake up and go for thre rare skills needed to revamp and turn around the dwindling economy of Nyanza. It’s either you do it right this time, or perish all together! This time we are not going for those who “sufficiently feel charitable”. We shall be going for those who are out to change the image of Nyanza once and forever. I want to caution the people of Nyanza, that this is the only opportunity to put things right. We need to go for people with managerial acumen and sound financial discipline. It will not be a question of those who have been conducting fund-raising because we are not electing fund-raisers; it will be a question of electing even the very poor from a poor family but he has the rare quality of management skills, financial discipline, technology skills, and above all, more exposure in the international arena. Such a person will also help influence investors to Nyanza. The time is not yet ripe for any campaigns: You have’nt seen anything yet!
Dr. Otieno Mbare
Well put Dr.
I wonder how many building blocks one can put up with 700k. If fundraising is the sole criteria for “unanimous endorsement” then Jokanyanam have a long way to go. We need empowerment to build schools on our own without depending on fundraisers who will spend their time once elected to recoup what they donated in harambees. I will vote for the candidates with clear and convincing road maps on how to reverse the endemic poverty in the County.
Omar Jabunde
Dr Mbare, what you should be telling us is the desired quality of a county governor and senotor then at the right time you would tell us to apply the desired qualityie to vet candadates for the positions.
Otherwise, there is no problem being charitable, there is no problem expressing inteest in a position at this time and there is no problem a crowd endorsing those who have expressed interests in positions.
It helps nobody including yourself when you belittle initiatives of others.
True to the point, and the candidate himself is not even the peoples’ choice but an extension of the those always being imposed for pledging advance loyalty to the region’s kingpin, a culture of which should now be done away with.
Let the peiple practise demicracy and this time elect, not sycophants, but deserving representatives based on their deeds, competence and people-dedicated vision to the various political posts.
Well and clear,they seem to know much on how to lure people on their ways to these posts,but my question is, what progresses have these harambes made so far.otherwise ,just keep the spirit of harambee up and dont forget that we”ll elect those who can “konyo”the people and not those only” moro”people by showing the amount they can donate.I also pray to be a manager in a company one day embezzle funds,use some of it in another one elsewhere as i wait to re-embezzle that company i”ve been donating to.
i agree, but sometimes it is also important to get ‘used’ to the constituents, not just appearing to be elected each election year like Dr Mbare has been doing. We want to feel you on the ground, even if it'[s not the mega harambees, but at least let me feel you!
I have known Awiti for sometime now. He’s too extravagant and should not be entrusted with the governorship of this county. Awiti is even broke. He never invested at all , he has only his living house. All he is good at is dancing. He’s not the best for our couny.