PRESS RELEASE BY TEAM SILAS JAKAKIMBA
AT HOMA-BAY TOWN, 10A.M., Thursday 15th January, 2015.
Great People of Homa-Bay County, Members of The Fourth Estate;
Together, we started this journey on 10th day of December, 2014. The premise for all this had a foundational bearing on the strong convictions to serve you, as a servant leader. I’ve always been clear from day one, that if and when granted the electoral mandate to power on the aspirations of our People, the focus of my tenure would star on protection of devolution but very importantly so, demanding for accountability by the County Government on use of devolved resources.
We all know so well the burning desire of our folks across all the villages that public resources are used for the intended purposes and further that employment and business opportunities obtaining within the County Government reflect both county – regional and demographic balance(s).
Further, our position is that the County Government must see to it that its development deliverables are achieved for the betterment of the lives of our people. The need for affordable, accessible, quality health-care; improved education standard; expanded roads and electricity/ infrastr4ucture coverage; clean water and food security – has never been more urgent.
To prosecute the above-mentioned agenda, we are here today to present our candidature on a United Democratic Movement Party ticket. We chose this platform after what was clearly bad manners taken too far by the National Elections Board of the Orange Democratic Movement Party.
Even so, several things have since transpired including but not limited to direct security threats on the one hand, and on the other, though completely UNRELATED, the sudden demise of my brother, political confidant and close friend, Fidel Castro Odinga.
Under the circumstances, and after wide, painful consultations and deliberations with the ‪#‎SJCommandTEAM‬, Chair Wakili Edwin Sifuna and the ‪#‎SilasJAKAKIMBA‬ Secretariat, I wish to, with all humility and gratitude to my supporters from across the widths and breadths of the County, forthwith withdraw my candidature from the current contest.
Be all that as it may, the People of Homa-Bay County are presented with a momentous duty and responsibility to critically VET and ONLY grant electoral endorsement to a daughter or a son of the soil they deem fit to ABLY steer this county to greater heights and make it the County of Choice in the Republic of Kenya.
This cardinal duty is and remains the democratic right of We The People of Homa-Bay and we have to freely exercise it without fear as we seek to power on the County Development agenda on 12th February, 2015. I appeal for tolerance and conduct of peaceful campaigns as contestants seek to sell their policies to the electorate. We continue to condemn in the strongest terms possible all forms of violence, threats (like in this case) and intimidation of whatsoever nature to those still in this race.
I so personally thank all the thousands of folks both local, national and across the boarders who believed and still believe in me. Many thanks to my home people of Mbita, everyone who contributed materially and idea support plus those reliable anonymous friends abroad who pledged commitments worth tens of thousands of US Dollars towards this cause.
Bado, Tuko Tayari to participate and engage in powering on development agenda of Homa-Bay County and The Republic of Kenya.
Signed.
Silas Jakakimba, Senate Aspirant, Homa-Bay County.