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The passing of former President Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi, Kenya’s second President on 4th January 2020 marks the end of an era in Kenya’s Pre-independence, independence and post-independence history. The former President has lived through Kenya’s evolution right from the 1920s in the 20th century to his ripe age peering right into the next century. The former President entered public, political life in the 1950s and by a combination of diverse external factors and his character by design or accident, by calculation or otherwise outlived many of his political peers. He became the 2nd President even against strong machinations by a clique from Central Kenya who were determined to stop him from doing so.
The former President leaves behind a mixed legacy depending on where one interacted or was impacted by his administration during his 24 years reign as Kenya’s President. For those born after the end of the Moi Presidency they can only decipher his legacy from historical perspectives. His legacy was sweet and bitter. His legacy was steeped in contradiction. He took over the reigns of power in 1978 promising to follow the footsteps (Nyayo) of his predecessor the first President of Independent Kenya, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. He declared his philosophy to be Love, Peace, and Unity. Yet it was in his reign that his own Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Robert Ouko was brutally murdered and to date nobody has even been found culpable for the murder. Yet it was also during the Presidency of Moi that Kenya experienced the infamous, tribal clashes in 1991-1992 and in 1998 in or about those General Elections that saw the state sponsor terror by sections of its security agencies and civilians against communities deemed not in support of KANU and sowed the seeds of the mega tribal clashes of 2008. It was equally during that presidency that terror, maiming, killing of those alleged to be opponents of KANU’s mode of governance were rampant and widespread.
Yet it was in that era that Kenya was bulldozed into a one party dictatorship and when those who agitated for multipartism were harassed, detained, bludgeoned and some killed. But yes President Moi eventually due to internal pressure acceded to multipartism and eventually peacefully honoured the Constitution and at the end of his last ten years handed over power to President Mwai Kibaki in 2003. President Moi’s unqualified legacy to Kenya was his expansion of education in Kenya. Like him or hate him on education expansion, growth he left a lasting mark. The quality of education may have dropped but during his term Kenya experienced far reaching education expansion. The late President Moi’s political shadow still looms large over Kenya as the majority of the political actors in contemporary Kenya were his proteges. President Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy President William Ruto, former vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi, Senator Moses Wetangula to name just a few were all literally handpicked by the late President and given key political positions that leveraged them exponentially in their political and economic careers. Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was a thorn in the flesh of the Moi Presidency but by the turn of the 20th Century around the year 2000 Raila Odinga had been seduced into KANU and akin to the present handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Raila Odinga bolted with other KANU diehards when President Moi then anointed Uhuru Kenyatta as his successor in the run-up to the 2002 General Elections that was won by President Mwai Kibaki. Senator James Orengo, lawyer John Khaminwa, Governors Kiraitu Murungi, Professor Anyang Nyongo and Kivutha Kibwana, lawyer Paul Muite, the late Martin Shikuku, the late Masinde Muliro, the late Vice President Michael Wamalwa Kijana, the late Charles Rubia, the late Kenneth Matiba, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga were on the opposite side of President Moi’s political enterprise from the 1990s until his retirement. Indeed, former President Mwai Kibaki who was at one time President Moi’s vice President eventually bolted to the opposition in 1992 and in 2002 was able to beat President Moi at his own game and become Kenya’s 3rd President. Though President Moi was President in the late 1970s right to the new century in 2002 and his rule was pitted against unique local and international variables, a measure of how successful he was or not can easily be calibrated by comparing his 24 years as President with the ten years of President Mwai Kibaki from 2003 to 2013. It is up to you to make your own judgment. President Moi did what he did. He was made of unique circumstances. As we bid him farewell we must reflect on the state of our nation. We must look ourselves in the mirror. The nation is at a cross-roads. We must be ruthless and candid on about the state of our nation in this Decade. For the late Mzee Moi, he has finished his Race and we wish him well.