Ghafla!Kenya Exclusive: Dennis Itumbi’s Open Letter To ALL social Media Users!
Dear Friends,
Hearty greetings and my very best regards to you all…
Once again I appreciate the torrential feedback and congratulatory messages on my appointment as the Director Digital, New Media and Diaspora.
There has been massive feedback, ideas, encouragement, correction, solidarity, great debates among us, not to forget the many attempts you have collectively made to reach me on phone.
It is unfortunate that I have not been able to click enter for every call, or reply to every text, Facebook Inbox or Twitter DM. That does not mean that your efforts are ignored.
There has been massive feedback, ideas and even attempts to get me on the phone. I appreciate all the communication; however I must apologize for not getting to everyone in due time.
I hope that this brief note will satisfy many of your inquiries as we proceed to provide you with more information. We are thinking of you dear friends in the Diaspora and we are working on ensuring that your voices are heard.
Since our recent appointment, my team and I have been hard at work to deliver on our mandate.
To the users of digital space this is my word of promise to you – The Digital Pledge will be delivered – we cannot fail on a key plank of the President and Deputy President’s promise to the nation. The team will for sure show constant, continuous and fresh results.
We ask that you give us a few weeks to properly prepare and deliver substantial information that will give better guidance you, our loved ones residing outside of Kenya; our Diaspora.
It has been my wish that we should begin our interaction immediately, but settling down has taken a bit longer than I envisioned, developing the strategy is the priority.
We assure you that, your ideas and vision will maintain a steady flow of solutions and your participation will not only ensure your involvement – but play a big part in the service of the nation and our Diaspora. I do not have to promise much, the ideas that have been sent my way, the proposals and the strategic interventions will be fulfilled.
Access to the Presidency will be a guarantee, by placing a Diaspora office right in the Executive office of the President; that will ensure his accessibility. I assure you one thing, my team and I will not take lightly your wishes.
It is also instructive to note that the President picked Manoah Esipisu to head the Government communication, he came in straight from the Diaspora.
I must add that this office will not seek to implement its own ideas and thinking as a solution, but your flow of thoughts.
Soon to come, a clear portal of communication, a schedule of regular direct interaction with The President, his deputy and Cabinet Secretaries will be circulated to each of you.
Most importantly, the issues you face with your embassies will be forwarded directly to the desk of the Cabinet Secretary Foreign Affairs and action followed up for response in the shortest periods.
A database of skills and businesses will also be compiled and assisted where possible. We will play an active role in monitoring employment in Kenyan embassies to ensure fairness and effectiveness.
If the President, the Presidency and the government can communicate and open up, embassies will have to change their approach to communications and interaction where they have been dormant on that aspect. Fortunately on that, we have the support of the Cabinet Secretary Foreign Affairs.
To the users of digital space; we will hand you spaces where you can confidently share information about anything and everything around you and we assure you we will mobilize the best reaction.
For users of digital space and those living abroad we will unite to build endless possibilities for our Nation, ourselves and most importantly the generation after us – after all, whatever strategy we employ aimed at making our generation smile, must make the next one laugh.
Greater functions, awesome aesthetic value, interactive capability and information banks that will make government accessible online, is what we are currently transforming our websites and social media presence to be.
Dear Friends, together we have a chance to make Kenya into the nation we have always wanted it to be, through this space, but we can only do that if we spend more time discussing ideas, debating transformational visions and implementing what we envision.
We are currently setting up the tools of trade – someone once said that to cut a tree, you would rather spend your time sharpening the axe. Another one said, to ascend the heights of a mountain, you must first master its valleys…
Kindly allow us a few more weeks, to fully settle. We will not be silent, a lot will still be happening and you will be seeing it right here – but after that we will be inviting you to interact with us directly.
We will endeavour work in a an acceptable time frame, but always remember we are attempting to reform a system and sometimes its weight may show on us, and that’s why we ask for the space to overturn the trailer of networks that do not easily embrace change. It will happen, and it is already happening.
That is our plea to you. On the other hand, our appeal remains that you keep emailing your ideas to [email protected] and copy [email protected] and in the subject line, please indicate the broad topic, be it Diaspora, New Media or Digital.
To get listed on our database, email your contacts and skills to the email [email protected]. I know the yahoo and gmail accounts have caught your eye and you may ask why and how – bear with us, it will not be long to change this either.
“Therefore,” dear Friends, Like Paul wrote in the scripture in 1 Corinthians 9:26 “I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.”
In conclusion, I have to agree with the view that, “as long as the constitution of our Nation is not amended, then we will have to dream the largest dreams, while fully aware that the only dreams that count are the ones we have when awake” – after all we will need to put actions into our dreams, for dreams without actions are nightmares…
So friends lets rise from the slumber of our complaints, critic on personalities and dream the right dreams – those that can transform our nation and provide a comfortable stage for us and a joyous, simplicity of life – while providing a coloured platform for the generation after us.
God Bless You.
Regards,
Dennis Itumbi
