INAUGURAL SPEECH OF INCOMING PRESIDENT OF EAST AFRICA INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS,GAD OPIYO

MY VICTORY IS YOUR VICTORY
May I paraphrase Abraham Lincoln "A house divided against itself can not stand" so I say a divided East Africa shall not stand.

GREETINGS
To the Cabinet Secretary Professor Jacob Kaimenyi, To the President AUA Architect Kaisi Kalambo, to The outgoing president of EAIA Architect Robert Kiggundu, Council members and delegates EAIA, GC Members and all those present here tonight I greet you all good evening.

RESILIENCE
Every generation is called upon to rise and fight a vice that threatens the endurance of free society, at their time. The  generation Abraham Lincoln was called upon to abolish slavery, the generation of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta & Mwalimu Julius Nyerere were called upon to abolish colonialism. Our generation is called upon to abolish corruption. This we must do. For us to remain free and for us to usher in the new dawn of prosperity for all people of our nations. This is a duty our generation can not avoid. We owe this duty to ourselves, to our founding fathers and to generations yet unknown. Because when we do, when we slay this dragon, our Nations will rise to new heights of prosperity and the ascendancy of Eat Africa will be unstoppable. I may not get there individually but as a people we shall get there for the arc of history is long but bends towards justice.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am delighted for the faith you have in me to lead EAIA, I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. Just a few years back I was little known in these circles. Because of your support I have come this far. My victory is your victory. Let's rejoice together.

Special thanks to architect Robert Kiggundu out going president of EAIA for accepting to handover power. Where he comes from they amend the constitution to prolong their rule.

Like in every family the younger brother looks upto the bigger brother to hold his hands as he takes the first steps, on this score I would like to profusely thank The former AAK Chairman Architect Steve Oundo for showing me the way. I can not forget Architect Waweru Gathecha the president of AAK for the hard work alongside Architect Flora Runumi to revive EAIA. A special mention goes to Arch. My class mate Arch. Musembi Mumo former EAIA president for holding my hands and for standing with me all the way.

To the members of Architects chapter council, I salute you, you are the silent but solid pillar of my leadership, the power behind the throne.
Not to forget the the secretariat headed by the CEO Jacob.

A king without subjects is like a speaker without an audience. A big thank you to all the EAIA and AAK delegates.

VALUES
East African community was established with a vision to set up prosperous, secure, stable and politically united East Africa through widening and deepening cooperation among the partner states in political, economic and social spheres.

HISTORY
There is a young man in our midst whom I respect so much not just because for what he has achieved but for what he stands for. The young man is non other than Our senior  Trustee Architect David Mutiso. His history is intertwined with the history of the institute. We all know him as an Architect but now I know he is a visionary. When the first EAC crumbled like a house of cards he clung on to the dream of a united profession in East Africa. As we celebrate this over a century old institute we must remember that he has served for about half that period, like a benevolent spirit he was present at every turn

1950s Pre Indepence when all architects were white people
1960s he witnessed the struggle for independence and attainment of freedom by our patriots.
1970s He saw EAC collapse out of bloated egos and recklessness
1980s Fall of Uganda and attempted coup in Kenya
1990s The rebirth of EAC
2000s Formation of the Common Market & Customs Union,
2010s Monetary union and Political federation?? are we off target??

How many of us feel we are losing steam? Why are we losing steam? That for a while we have just been spinning our wheels? Your guess is as good as mine.

VISION
I come into office To Transform, to run and to grow EAIA

Transformation is our highest goal but this can neither be easy nor quick. I have walked this journey at AAK and sometimes the tensions can reach the breaking point. It's not an easy journey my friends, unfortunately if we are to make any difference, if we are to move EAIA forward and if we are to leave behind a better EAIA than the one we Inherited from Architect David Mutiso, then it's a journey we must walk.

Envisage wildebeests crossing the Mara river from the great Savannah of Serengeti to the lush green grass of Masai Mara, these animals are the true east Africans, who gives them visa? Who gives them eating permit? they are truly border less, isn't this our dream? But always there's danger lurking under the water, the Mara river is infested by deadly crocodiles, but they must plunge to reach the lush green grass.

I tell you my brothers and sisters, Our fate is not different, to bring change there's danger, but it is a risk worth taking, for a better future of lush green grass we must plunge. I am counting on your support as we embark on this treacherous Journey filled with hope that on the other side we will find a new dawn. A dawn pregnant with the promise of a greater and stronger EAIA, pregnant with EA federation, I hope to live to see this dream come true one day.

But I must warn you. There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision I make. We know the institute can't solve all problems. This victory alone is not the change we seek it's only the chance for us to make that change.

We are called upon to seize the future together, let the bright light of EAIA shine on East Africa Community, we are not as divided as the pundits believe. We are stronger than the sum of our individual countries. An EAIA Divided will not stand. The promise we sort in our unity must come true. This is the hope we must go back with to Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi that With our  new spirit of community we shall sustain the institute.

Umoja ni Nguvu, Utengano ni Udhaifu.
Long Live EAIA

Terrorism in Kenya

Kenya has been the scene of various attacks attributed to terrorist elements. This is since in the 80s when The Jewish-owned Norfolk hotel was attacked by the PLO. In late 90s, another attack of the US embassy in Nairobi was again bombed. This did not take long before Paradise Hotel owned by the Israeli was attacked by terrorist approximately four years after the US embassy bombed. In 2013, 67 lives claimed by the militant of the Al-Shabaab, Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi.

Life was normal for the students of a University college in the remote part of Kenya, North East, which borders Somalia. This was on a Wednesday of the month not until masked gunmen on the dawn of Thursday of the month stormed the fortified campus hostels shooting indiscriminately at the fleeing students before taking several hundred hostages. This ended when four masked gunmen donated their suicide vests, with a fifth arrested. This attack left at least 147 dead, mostly students, with survivors afterward recounting how the militants singled out and executed Christians.

The attacks have raised a lot of questions on the security in Kenya, that is, the security strategies. This brought about some comments that this is a mix of corruption and the structural alienation of Kenya’s Muslim population. It was said that earlier on, there has been a lot of foreigners managed to acquire Passports within few weeks of sneaking into the country.

It took security services several hours to arrive at the site of the siege because of the bad roads in the area. This could not be the reason as others said there are no police stations situated around the university and also in most parts of the county. This led to the delay of security service to reach the scene.

These acts of terrorism attack have not only affected Kenyans by robbing them their loved ones and leaving them traumatized, but also the economy of the country has been greatly affected .For instant, the tourism sector has been greatly sector has suffered a major blow as some members of international community have issued travel advisories to their citizens who may have been planning to come to Kenya. Example, the missile attack in Mombasa resulted cancellation of the flights to Kenya by the Israel.

Questions a rises on whom to blame or be blamed about this several terror attacks in Kenya. This has made people live in dilemma whether The government should remove the military service in Somalia to make people live in peace and reduce the attacks in Kenya or the government to leave the militaries in Somalia to continue fighting the terrorists in Somalia. This may bring about different reasons to why leave or not. Removing the KDF from Somalia will not bring about any change because before the KDF was put in place, attacks such as bombing US embassy happened without KDF in Somalia.
Threats from the attackers has been all over about more of attacks on Kenya specifically where large number of population gather such as churches, institutions and airports just as it was In Paris France which left scarce of people. Maybe there is a reason for all this attacks not only in Kenya but all around the world. Even if KDF move away from Somalia, attacks will still be there as others claims it be in the Bible according to Mathew 24, signs of the end.

To help terminate this unethical behavior, people join together in prayers as the Muslim brothers help condemn this type of attacks. Also more stringent legal measures need to be imposed in the country in order to compliment the law of attacks and end the loopholes that will subject Kenya to any future terror attacks.

By Akumu Dalton Omondi
    Moi University.

REGRETS

           

There she was!,seated at the edge of her bed while crying bitterly.She is mourning and lamenting everything around her."Oh dear God!,why allow me to undergo all these?,Iam now seeing how unfair the world is,where is my future in this state of mine?,how I wish I knew that this inhuman man was only after ruining my life."Those were the words of Shila as I watched her rubbing tears out of her red eyes.

Shila was strolling around Eldoret town along the Eldoret-Nakuru highway when a black Japanese Range Rover pulled up next to her with a good looking man on the wheel. Shila had matched her long bond hair with a purple mini-dress flattering her body figure. The man peeped through the window of the car and their eyes met.He smiled and shouted,Hey pretty lady! can I have your phone number? "

Shila blushed and gave the number to the man.The following day the man made a phone call.He asked her to meet him at one of the restaurants in town.Shila feeling uncertainty about the man she accepted to meet him.Shila arrived at the place earlier and she was surprised to find the man already waiting for her.The man walked briskly towards and they embraced each other.

Immediately after meeting, the man gave Shila a cheque of hundred thousands. He smiled and asked her,"Hey beautiful lady,will you mind making love with me?".Shila resisted at first but because of the man's calm persistent, she gave in.They began to grind into each other while sharing different kinds of drinks together. This joyful moments made them to make several promises about their future life.

Shila was blinded by the man's passionate love.He provided her with alot of gifts and he promised to support her in every situation.They enjoyed several dates together and after some months of dating the man asked Shila to visit him at his homestead.Shila made a vist and they enjoyed moments of kisses and caress with their arms round each other the whole night.

The following morning they bid byes to each other as everyone quit for his and her respective activity. From that moment Shila tried to contact the man but he was nowhere.After one month Shila realised some unusual behaviour on her health. She visited the hospital and the doctor after diagnosing her,he told her frankly that she is pregnant and HIV positive.

This was when Shila recognised the award of her actions. She is  regretting for ruining her life because of desires.She is requesting all young ladies to be contented with the little resources they have rather than looking for many resources from the so called "sponsors" because they will end up by ruining their lives.