From: odhiambo okecth

6th August 2013 at the YMCA State House Road Nairobi 1st Annual General Meeting for Kimisho Community Development Network- KCDN and Kimisho Savings and Credit Co-operative Society Ltd- KSSL- a speech by Odhiambo T Oketch- Team Leader and Executive Director KCDN and KSSL.

The Commissioner for Cooperatives Development,
The Managing Director Kusco,
All our invited Guests,
Kimisho Members,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good Morning.

Today, I am an elated man. I am satisfied with what we have achieved and from now own, the battle becomes ours, not mine anymore.

I toyed with the idea of forming a Sacco Society for The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC, and I did consult with Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o- the Senator for Kisumu County, the Rt Rev Johannes Angela- the Bishop of the ACK Diocese of Bondo and many friends, and I am happy that what we are witnessing today is the fruit of those discussions.

[image]Odhiambo T Oketch during the AGM with Mr. Paul Kibugi- Cooperative Officer and Mr. George Ototo- Managing Director Kusco
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I then consulted with the Commissioner for Co-operatives Developments and the Secretary of the Poverty Eradication Commission, because we needed to found Kimisho Sacco on firm grounds. I really want to appreciate their advice, guidance and support. I firmly believe that we are going to walk jointly in this Journey of Hope across Kenya as One united Kimisho Family under God.

Armed with enough confidence, I approached our Friends in the Media who gave us enough airtime to discuss our economic revival as a people in Kenya. The rest is now unfolding right in front of us today; the birth of KCDN and KSSL. I now want to salute Mr. Ben Oluoch Okello and Mr. Omole Asiko for seeing value in our preposition to them.

Kimisho Savings and Credit Co-operative Society Ltd is a product of The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC.

This Journey of Hope across Kenya has not been easy. But God has been on our side and He has helped us to overcome and fight all the battles we have so far faced. He has made us triumphant and I must appreciate what He says through the Psalmist in the Good Book of Psalms 140; 1-6 ‘Save me LORD, from evildoers. Keep me safe from violent people. They are always plotting evil, always stirring up quarrels. Their tongues are like deadly snakes; their words are like a cobra’s poison.

Protect me LORD, from the power of the wicked. Keep me safe from violent people, who plot my downfall. The proud have set a trap for me, they have laid their snares and along the path they have set traps to catch me. I say to the LORD, you are my GOD. Hear my cry for help LORD’.

Indeed, snares and traps have been set for us from day 1. Journeymen and loud mouths, men who cannot do anything but to criticize what others are doing, have been on our case. They have written derogatory remarks about us; they have called us conman; they have accused us of many things we do not even know about; and they have called us free loaders. They have chest thumped on how they will bring us down. But we have taken all these in our strides because I knew we are doing the right thing and we are firmly within our legal mandate and the Constitution of Kenya and many people are with us.

I am happy we were never shaken nor worried even for a moment. And you can now all witness today the fruit of that confidence.

[image]The Kimisho Team in a Group Photo with Mr. Ototo and Mr. Kibugi
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Today, we are hosting our 1st Annual General Meeting and our official launch as Kimisho Savings and Credit Co-operative Society Ltd and I want to pass the baton and mantle of Leadership to the Team that you have elected to manage the Kimisho Family. The law is firmly on our side and the people are with us. So, do not be afraid. Journeymen and idlers will say many things about you. They will accuse you of all sorts of impropriety, but you must have the staying power. You must not wobble at the first sign of trouble. You must be firm and remain solid.

You must keep your sights firmly on the squirrel ahead. Not on the side shows. We have one onerous task of baking this bread for all and sundry, and for many across the valleys and ridges of Kenya and beyond, and we must deliver. Again, we must not be afraid. Cowards die many times before their deaths.

At this point, kindly allow me to invoke the memories of the great Sembene Ousmane, who in his great epic- God’s bits of Wood- says- ‘if you are afraid of the heat, you cannot be in the kitchen. And with no one in the kitchen, there will be no food on the table’. He similarly says- ‘if you are afraid of blood, you cannot be a butcher. And with no butchers, there will be no meat’. We must remain in the kitchen however hot it is if we desire to place some food on the Kimisho Family Table.

Can we all kindly rise up, fill our glasses and let us toast to the long life of the Kimisho Family.

I want to invite my Team Members and Colleagues at Kimisho; this will never be a holiday resort for us. There is work to be done and I want us to listen very keenly.

1. Our first assignment is to set up an office both in Nairobi, Busia and in all our Branches.

2. We must then enhance our Recruitment drive to net 100,000 Members within the next 6 Months. But immediately, we must mobilize 20,000 Members to help make us break-even.

3. We must recruit competent staff to help us meet our immediate challenges.

4. We must develop software that will drive our massive membership drive across Kenya.

5. We must recruit a General Manager to oversee the setting up of Kimisho on firm grounds within the next 3 Months, the structuring of our Unit Table Banking Services and the setting up of Kimisho Investment Club.

6. We must develop a 3 Year Strategic Growth Plan that will see us develop into a fully fledged Banking institution within three years- Kimisho Commercial Bank.

All these are deliberate efforts which we must all work towards as a Team. We will not entertain theories, seminars and workshops. These are tools meant for mark-timing and procrastination.

I want to invite our two Chairmen- The Rt Rev Bishop Johannes Angela- Bishop of the ACK Diocese of Bondo- Chairman of our Board of Directors at KCDN and Mr. Dismus Omondi Obondo- Chairman of KSSL Management Committee, that your roles for the next three years is well cut out. We need sound management and more-so, we need the numbers. We must hit 100,000 Members within the shortest time possible. You are taking over when we have only enrolled about 500 Members, but we did this before we launched. Now that we have launched officially, we want to see the figures and the numbers.

At this point in time, I also want to appreciate our County Team Leaders and my Colleagues who have helped me steer this ship this far, especially Mr. Fred Banja, Ms Mary Akello, Mr. Philemon Ouma and many others. Let us now roll out firmly and strongly across all Kenya with one singular aim- we can also do it.

[image]Mrs Odhiambo T Oketch, The Chairman Mr Dismus Obondo and the Secretary Odhiambo T Oketch with Mr. Kibugi and other Kimisho Members
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I have only lit the candle in a dark room and now, we must all share in the light and move on. In this Journey of Hope across Kenya, and as our Team Leader, I will listen very keenly to sound advice and ideas that add value. But I will dismiss with utter contempt ideas and comments that are pedestrian and from journeymen.

We will knock on doors that are friendly and enhance partnerships that will see us deliver on our three pillars namely;

1. Environmental Management,
2. Economic Empowerment, and
3. Poverty Eradication.

Our first source of funding will be by pooling our own resources together on a Monthly basis. We have revised our Registration Fee to Kshs 500.00 as from today and we will maintain our minimum Monthly Contributions at Kshs 200.00. Members have also agreed that they will all be making a voluntary Monthly contribution of Kshs 20.00 to help the office with logistics and administration and I want to sincerely thank all of you for this great magnanimity.

To achieve all the issues I have talked about, we must all invest in Kimisho and have the staying power. We must trust in the leadership that we have elected today and we must remain committed to our course. It will never happen by itself or by divine intervention. We must cause it to happen as we seek divine intervention. Members must have that self discipline that will see us religiously make our Monthly Contributions without being prompted and we must pay all the loans and support we get.

All our County Team Leaders and the Kimisho Unit Leaders must redouble their efforts at Recruitment and mobilization.

Before I wind up, let me pay special tribute and appreciation to the following Friends, Members and Partners for making the hosting of this 1st AGM possible;

Mr. Alfayo Ondego- Kshs 1,000.00,
Mr. Dismus Omondi Obondo- Kshs 2,000.00,
Mr. Steven Obala Otieno- Kshs 2,000.00,
Mr. Odhiambo T Oketch- Kshs 2,000.00,
Ms Merab Akuon- Kshs 2,000.00
The Rt Rev Bishop Johannes Angela- Kshs 2,000.00,
Ms Mary Asiko- Kshs 2,000.00,
Mr. Jairus Gilbert Omondi- Kshs 3,000.00,
Mr. Isayah Odhiambo Bwana- Kshs 10,000.00,
Ms Everlyne Akumu- Kshs 2,000.00,
Mr. Fredrick Omondi Banja- Kshs 5,000.00,
Mr. Tubmun Otieno- Kshs 3,000.00.
Mr. Joel Akama- Kshs 1,500.00,
Dr Abraham Korir- Kshs 2,500.00,
Ms Claire Omollo- Kshs 2,000.00,
Ms Judith Anyango Ombok- Kshs 2,000.00.

I also want to leave you with the wise counsel from St Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians- 1st Corintians 3;7; The one who sows and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because, He makes the plant grow.

We have done our part and God is happy with us. He is making it happen for us and He will guide our growth.

Lastly, may the good LORD continue protecting us from the snares and traps of evildoers and guide our path into righteousness. May Kimisho rise to her full potential.

May God bless Kimisho. God bless Kenya and may all of you have great journey mercies as you travel back.

Karibuni Chai.