THE ODM VISION: BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

P. Anyang' Nyong'o Sunday Standard December 9th. 2012 I want to thank all the members of the ODM who did so much to make our National Delegates Convention such a great success on Friday, the seventh of December. I do so in recognition of the fact that this was a meeting of patriotic Kenyans ready to implement the constitution, see to it that we have devolved government serving the Kenyan people, and harness all our resources to develop an equitable, just, democratic and prosperous nation governed by a national, democratic and developmental state. First, thank you the party branches and branch leaders, you have done us proud. Thank you delegates, you are the rock on which the ODM party is built. Second, our thanks go to all our national leaders: MPs, Ministers, Assistant Ministers, members of the National Executive Committee and the Governing Council. You represent the mosaic of our nation, a living proof that ODM is a truly national movement. Third, the Young Orange Democrats and the Orange Women Democrats, you are the movers and shakers of our party; your work is always cut out for you. Thank you for living up to our expectation, but we want and expect more from you. Fourth, thank you the Convention Organizing Committee, led By Hon. Paul Otuoma, the indomitable Minister of Local Government; we are proud of what we saw on Friday: a convention venue like no other south or north of the Equator. Fifth, the Secretariat at Orange House, led by the ever patient Janet Ongera, our Executive Director. A lot of what you do, sometimes all night without sleeping, is only known by a few members of the party. But the results speak for themselves. Thank you, God bless you. Lastly, to our Party Leader, Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. Thank you for captaining our ship which must now sail across the River Jordan into the promised land. The visitors you invited from the Sudanese National Congress Party (NCP), the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in Tanzania, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) of Uganda and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) of Zimbabwe made a great difference to the Convention. A true sense of regional integration in Africa was vivid in what these leaders said. Prime Minister, Morgan Tsangirai, leader of MDC, has so much in common with us that politically; Kenya and Zimbabwe are truly political siamese twins regarding crises in political transition from authoritarian rule to democracy. Wahenga wanasema, "SIMBA MWENDA POLE, NDIYE MLA NYAMA." In 2002, with only two words, KIBAKI TOSHA, Raila Amolo Odinga gallantly gave up his own quest for the Presidency so that the then opposition could come together and end the authoritarian regime that had misruled this country for a whole 24 years. It was quite clear that, from that day onwards, Raila would make the journey to the Kenyan presidency step by step. In 2008, although the ODM won the elections, Raila sacrificed his victory for the sake of peace, reconciliation and national unity, and signed the NATIONAL ACCORD. The result is now the DEMOCRATIC CONSTITUTION Kenyans had been fighting for for decades. The time has come to implement this constitution, and Kenyans need reassurance that this task will be accomplished after the elections in March next year. Kenyans are, and they require national unity to achieve this peacefully and democratically. A broad national democratic front in our politics is the surest way to do this. When we in ODM talk of building a national, democratic and developmental society as we implement this institution, we cannot forget our sisters and brothers in other parties who must be included in this process of momentous social transformation. The politics of inclusion must take center stage in this transformation. The ODM is a movement of the Kenyan people born out of he struggle for constitutional change. We are a movement of the Kenyan people, coming from somewhere and going somewhere. We are coming out of authoritarian rule and marching towards democratic governance. We happen to know where we have come from, hence we must be sure if where we are going. So we can't get lost. Wahenga wanasema "Penye nia hapakosi njia." The national institutions that will either make us or unmake us in this process of democratization are the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) who are in charge of the electoral process, now underway in the registration of voters. This process, if truth be told, is not going on very well. There is tremendous doubt that we shall have registered 18 million Kenyans within the next 2 weeks. The IEBC needs to reflect on this very careful and come out with a solution that will guarantee Kenyans a truly democratic election. The other arm of government critical to this process is the security apparatus of the state comprising the police, the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS), public administrative services under the President's office and the national defense institutions. A consensus must emerge among all these institutions that a poorly handled general and presidential elections will have far reaching negative effects on Kenya's development, standing among civilized nations and leadership in the Eastern Africa Region. The ODM is ready to work with all other political parties to maintain peace and security in our nation,seek national reconciliation arising from past acts of omission and commission by government, thereby causing conflicts among communities and perpetrating injustice and discrimination of diverse kinds in our society. Together we shall cross this bridge peacefully. Scattered and disunited in purpose we shall languish in conflicts, indignity among our people and underdevelopment that may continue for decades and decades.