SPEECH BY HON. ENG. JAMES REGE DURING THE HOMECOMING AND THANKSGIVING CEREMONY TO CELEBRATE HIS RE- ELECTION AS THE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR KARACHUONYO CONSTITUENCY HELD AT KANJIRA PRIMARY SCHOOL GROUNDS ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013.

Fellow constituents- the people of Karachuonyo.
This is indeed a joyous moment for me. Although we couldn't do this immediately, we are happy that at last the moment of celebration and thanksgiving is here with us.
My friends, I can tell you that we are delighted by the overwhelming support for the Orange Democratic Movement ( ODM) party during the March 4th general elections. I am more humbled by your confidence in me for a second time. Thank you very much for believing in my leadership capabilities.
For Jokarachuonyo , I am most grateful for the honor you have bestowed upon me by electing me for a second time to help steer the development agenda of this great constituency. I also appreciate the efforts of my brothers with whom we sought your support in the last general elections. I sincerely thank them for giving me a healthy competition and I am looking forward to a working relationship with them for our beloved constituency.
Within the last few months , we have embarked on a serious journey- a journey of complete reconciliation and comprehensive development ventures. I have had an opportunity to interact with my fellow competitors - Mr. Charles Agure Yugi, Mr. Donny Opar, Mr. David Ngala Odhoch, Mr. Boaz Waruku and Mr. John Abila - and undertaken to work together for the good of the people of Karachuonyo. I am yet to meet the others due to time constraints but will not stop at reaching out to them for a more united Karachuonyo.
I would also wish to thank our party leader , The Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, the ODM party, the CORD coalition and it's affiliated parties for the role we played in the last general elections.
I want to recognize the priceless effort Hon. Raila has put all these years in his quest to see that Kenya is a prosperous and equitable society.He has equally mentored me in terms of political leadership.
He was thrice detained with some of our leaders who suffered together in the battlefield. It hurts me a great deal that we have not been lucky to reach our desired victory. But I have no doubt in my mind that we will get to the promised land. Let's keep soldering ahead. I guarantee the party my full participation and support in this endeavor.
To all those in ODM and our partners in the mighty CORD coalition who worked so hard in the last general elections and through the many decades, I thank you and honor you. To the great people of Karachuonyo and the world who are watching : this is indeed a joyous moment for the human spirit. I welcome you to join in this victory , which is essentially your victory , so that we move together towards prosperity.
My congratulations also goes to the Senator and governor of our county , the Hon. Otieno Kajwang' and Hon. Cyprian Awiti 'Jakodondo' as well as my colleague members of parliament from Homa Bay County, with whom we work very closely for the betterment of our promising county.
As in the past , I will continuously engage our Members of the County Assembly ( MCAs) , my campaign teams , my party leaders and all stakeholders of the giant liberation movement - ODM.
I stand here before you filled with deep pride and joy. Pride in the ordinary , humble people of this great land if Rachuonyo; and joy in our resolve to make our lives worthwhile. You have shown such an encouraging determination to reclaim and steer your destiny and that of this great constituency. I am your servant . I don't come to you as a leader, as one above others. We are together a great team. Leaders come and go but this constituency will forever exist. And it is upon us to bequeath future generations a place they will be proud of.
And the ideas I express are not the ideas invented in my own mind. They stem from our fundamental policy document - our party manifesto - and from your own aspirations as expressed in our engagement forums.
As I stand here I'm humbled by your courage and my heart filled with love for all of you. I feel extremely blessed to be a second term ODM Member of Parliament at this moment in our history, when we are called upon to define the leadership of this country for the next fifty years and beyond.
I pledge to use all my strength and ability to live up to your expectations as well as those of my party - ODM.
I am personally indebted and would like to pay tribute to some of Karachuonyo's greatest leaders , including the late freedom fighter , Ojijo Oteko, Omolo Agar and Paulo Mbuya. They should have been here to celebrate with us, not only these achievement but also the fifty years of our independence.
After a short break, occasioned by my ill-health , we are back and well on track confronting the challenges we face in our constituency. I thank you all who prayed with my family during those trying moments and we appreciate all those well wishes we received.
I will use this opportunity to also thank all of you who participated morally, physically and financially for the successful tenth parliamentary term. I thank you all, allow me to specifically mention the former CDFC led by Professor Henry Ouma, they did a tremendous job and we will always refer to their achievements. For our partners , CISCO Systems through Hital Muraj we received lots of technical and ICT equipment in our schools and set up Community Knowledge Centers, Microsoft under Mr. Louis Otieno provided ICT Training and software for our equipment at one point we were able to graduate ninety participants in basic computer training. World vision has continued to be a close partner in health , water and good security. Safaricom under Michael Joseph and Bob Colymore have continued to provide sanitary towels to all school going girls , built dormitories and science laboratories , we appreciate their support.
Jim Caulfield of Jerssey Foundation for putting up Apuko FOH Primary School we would not have got there without you. Our teachers , you make us proud , the provincial administration and security personnel at our constituency you have always done a good job.
My fello constituents, I ask you all to join me in the transformation of this land. Let us reduce back-biting and name-calling politics and get Karachuonyo on the development path. We must , together and without delay , begin to build a better life for all the people of Karachuonyo. That means working with the national and county governments and development partners to create job opportunities for our youth, to provide education and above all to promote peace and security for all.
We are ready to work with partners who are prepared to invest in better life for our people . That is going to be the cornerstone, the foundation, upon which our leadership is going to be based. I appeal to all the leaders who at going to work with us to honor this vision and to be prepared to contribute towards its implementation . If we fail to implement our campaign pledges, that will be a betrayal of the trust which the people of Karchuonyo have vested in us.
We want every politician , competitor or critic to feel that they are part and parcel of a leadership philosophy which is capable of accommodating their views within the context of working together for public benefit.
The calm and tolerant atmosphere that prevailed DUTING the elections depicts the type of Karachunyo we can build. It sets the tone for the future. We are one people with a common destiny in our own rich historical background.
People have voted for the party and person of their choice and w should respect that because we are in a democracy. I hold out a hand of friendship to all my former competitors and their supporters and ask all of them to join us in working together to tackle the development challenges we face as a people.
Let our celebrations be nicked ping with the mood set in the elections - peaceful , respectful and disciplined - to show that we are a people ready to assume our responsibilities in building the institute cry, county and country. I promise that I will do my best to be worthy of the faith and confidence you have in me and my party. Let us together build the future together and toast a better life for all of us .
I must say that we may encounter challenges in our march to socio- economic prosperity and liberation. But let us give up because the future is surely ours for the smoking and taking.
I thank you all. And God bless you all.