STATEMENT BY KILIFI DEPUTY GOVERNOR …
“This is an important day for our beloved Kenya. The dangers posed by the Coronavirus pandemic are real and all Kenyans should heed advice from the government and experts.
On March 7th, I arrived back to the country from a work trip in Berlin, Germany. At that time, Germany had 800 confirmed cases of COVID-19. With this knowledge, I should have entered into a self-quarantine protocol upon my return. I did not; I went about my daily business oblivious of the health risk I was exposing to others. I was arrogant. I was careless. I have sinned.
As a father, husband, son, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend, and leader, I should have done better. I have failed the people I represent. I have let my country down. Charge these shortcomings to my head which is limited in its finitude.
As I continue to recuperate, I have had time to reflect on my actions and with acuity of hindsight, I see why Kenyans distrust politicians. My deeds were about “I” without any consideration to the “You.” In this period, I have also learned that God is the perfect tailor and can mend the torn places in our being.
I have been in communication with medical officials and other experts, mapping every single person I interacted with and places I visited upon my return to the country. I have also hired a janitorial company that will provide a thorough cleaning and disinfection of all the places I have visited.
I am donating Ksh 5 million to the Department of Tropical Medicines and Infectious Diseases at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture (JKUAT) to facilitate research in infectious diseases that continue to affect and afflict the lives of Kenyans.
Finally, dear friends, I recently read this passage from the book ”Gates of Repentance” where Yom Kippur writes:
“The leaves are beginning to turn from green to red to orange. The birds are beginning to turn and are heading once more toward the south. The animals are beginning to turn to storing their food for the winter. For leaves, birds and animals, turning comes instinctively. But for us, turning does not come so easily. It takes an act of will for us to make a turn. It means breaking old habits. It means admitting that we have been wrong, and this is never easy. It means losing face. It means starting all over again. And this is always painful. It means saying I am sorry. It means recognizing that we have the ability to change. These things are terribly hard to do. But unless we turn, we will be trapped forever in yesterday’s ways.”
I am announcing my resignation today.
Thank you, and God bless you.”
~ Kilifi Deputy Governor, Gideon Saburi ~
