guest of honour's speech at 2010 cpa and acca graduation

GUEST OF HONOUR’S SPEECH AT 2010 CPA AND ACCA GRADUATION1. The Vice Chancellor‐ Strathmore University , Prof. John Odhiambo, Mr.Godfrey Madigu, Director School of Accountancy; Ms. Caroline Kigen, CEOICPAK; Mr. Martin Kisuu, Tax Partner PKF; Mr. George Kairu, Head ofEducation ACCA East Africa; Mr. Anthony Kariuki, ACCA CountryManager; distinguished members of the faculties, deans, honorableguests, parents, families and friends.2. It gives me a great pleasure to welcome you all to this year’s CPA andACCA Graduation Ceremony. It is a great joy to convey congratulations toeach one of you from the members of Strathmore University, alumni andfriends. Please let us give a round of applause to all graduants.3. I also want to congratulate the men and women who devote theirprofessional lives to making this university in general and the School ofAccountancy in particular a place of excellence and achievement ‐ theexemplary lecturers and administrators of the School of Accountancy.4. And I want to join the graduants in saying thanks to the people who didso much to make this day possible ‐ the ones who rooted for you,believed in you, prayed for you, and paid for you ‐ the parents andsponsors of the graduants.5. It is truly a time to celebrate. You have spent many sleepless nights,either worrying about passing or worrying how to get up in the morning,having had too much fun. From now on, no more exams, no moreapprehension. Still, I hope you will not stop being students. The fact thatyou will not have exams does not mean that you should not go onlearning. You must continue to commune with fellow human beings, justas you have been in community here among yourselves and with yourfine, inspiring lecturers.1 | P age

disappointed by the things they did not try than those they tried even ifthey failed.Let me assure you that this is the way I have lived and continue to live.10. Secondly I urge you to look back seriously in your life up to now.There are several things, circumstances and activities that have made yousucceed in the PAST, whether in exams, in life or in your careers. Thesethings may be hard work, honesty, personal discipline, loyalty to friend,love of God, loyalty to you families, love and passion for anything you doand many others. These will also contribute substantially to your futuresuccess. I urge you to strongly improve on these for they will be yourshield during difficult times, whether it is storms in your professional fieldof choice, marriage or family life.11. Thirdly I want to urge you to seriously identify a few role models.Role models are very important in ones life. They will act as your mentor,they can shape your character and more importantly you can drawinspiration from them. So identify the role models that will impact on youpositively.12. I have had four (4) role models in my life. My first role model wasmy mother. My mother never went to a formal school, but she wastaught how to read and write by a newly married lady whom she hadbeen asked to keep company as she had moved to a new home. So asthey talked, my mother came to know that she could read and write andthat is how she was taught. Later on in life when she was at her late 60’sshe enrolled in the Adult Education Programme and she used to go toschool at night in my home village. Even my self I had to do law in my oldage under the Parallel Degree Programme.My other role model in business was a man called S.G Warburg. He set upan Investment Bank from scratch in London in 1940. More importantly hewas a stickler to details and would not countenance mediocrity.3 | P age

Another role model was Former Prime Minister of Japan named Fukunda.What I draw from him was his determination. He tried 8times to becomethe prime Minister always resulting I failure. Every time he failed, hereassured himself that one day Japan would need him as a Prime Ministerand true to his dream he eventually became a Prime Minister.My final role model is former President of South Korea. What wasimportant for this man is that he was selfless, he had only 1 small housewhere he lived but more importantly he devoted his entire careertransforming South Korea from a poor rural Country to the modern stateof that country.I sincerely urge you to identify role models who will be like anchors inyour life.13. My final wish for you is this, that the friends you are seated with inthis Graduation be your friends for life, may they be a shoulder to lean onin times of fortune and trouble. Let this graduation Bind you in enormousaffection. Let your shared experiences of a time that could never comeagain help you. I wish this for you today and tomorrow. For all of youhave made it.14. I hope that even if you do not remember a word of mine, you willremember these words from Napoleon Hill, the author of the book of“Laws of Success” who said “Cherish your vision and your dreams as theyare the children of your soul, the blue prints of your ultimateachievements.”15. I wish you years of joy, years of serenity, years of friendship andsuccessful lives.16. Thank you.4 | P age