Nairobi News

HashtagNews

The life and times of Daniel arap Moi

By Amina Wako February 4th, 2020 3 min read

Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was born in Sacho, Baringo County and was raised by his paternal uncle Kimoi Chebii after the death of his father Kimoi arap Chebii in 1928 when he was only four years old.

In 1934, Mzee went to African Inland Mission School, Kabartonjo then proceeded to the Government African School in Kapsabet. He was baptized Daniel on October 20, 1936.

EARLY LIFE

He studied at Kagumo College in 1949 before joining Tambach Teachers Training College in the Keiyo District.

In 1950, he attended a course at the Kenya Institute of Administration which was the native industrial training depot established in 1924 at Kabete.

Moi married Lena (Helena Tungo Bommet) in 1950 at the AIC mission in Eldama Ravine.

In their 24 years of marriage, Moi and Lena were blessed with seven biological children and one adopted child; namely Jennifer Chemutai Kositany, Jonathan Kipkemboi, John Mark, Raymond Kipruto, Philip Kipchirchir, Doris Elizabeth Chepkorir Choge, Gideon Kipsielei and June Moi.

The former president in 1955 was elected Member of the Legislative Council for Rift Valley replacing Dr John ole Tameno.

In 1957 Moi was re-elected as Member of the Legislative Council for Rift Valley.

He became Minister of Education in the pre-independence government of 1960-1961 and during this time, Moi together with Ronald Ngala formed Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU).

Immediately after Kenya’s independence Jomo Kenyatta, who was the leader of Kenya African National Union (KANU), convinced Moi to join his party. Accordingly, KADU dissolved and joined KANU in 1964.

Kenyatta then appointed him Minister for Home Affairs in 1964, and then to Vice President in 1967.

Moi was elected to the Kenyan parliament in 1963 from Baringo North. From 1966 until his retirement in 2002 he served as the Baringo Central MP.

PRESIDENCY

In the years leading to the death of the first president, Moi faced opposition from the Kikuyu elite known as the Kiambu Mafia, who preferred one of their own to be eligible for the presidency in case of any eventuality.

They attempted to change the constitution to prevent the then Vice President from automatically assuming power in the event of Kenyatta’s death.

The push came as an aging Kenyatta’s health declined. However, Kenyatta stood with Moi during the political storm.

After Kenyatta’s death on August 22, 1978, Moi became become president an interim capacity. He was meant to hold the position for 90 days as the country prepared for presidential election.

Elections never happened and in September 1978 Moi was sworn in as the second President of Republic of Kenya.

On August 1, 1982, lower-level Air Force personnel, led by Senior Private Grade-I Hezekiah Ochuka and backed by university students, attempted a coup d’état to oust Moi.

The attempt was quickly suppressed by military and police forces commanded by Chief of General Staff Mahamoud Mohamed.

Moi took the opportunity and purge his cabinet. He reduced the influence of Kenyatta’s men in the cabinet through a long running judicial enquiry that resulted in the identification of key Kenyatta men as traitors.

RETIREMENT

He appointed supporters to key roles and changed the constitution to formally make KANU the only legally permitted party in the country.

Moi won the country’s post-independence multi-party democracy elections in 1992 then again in 1997. Both elections were marred by political violence although key to his victory in both elections was a divided opposition.

In 2001 his party KANU merged with Raila Odinga’s National Development Party (NDP).

Moi was constitutionally barred from running in the 2002 presidential elections. He also preferred to retire, choosing Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s first President, as his successor.

In the December 2002, election Mwai Kibaki was elected President with a landslide victory over Kenyatta.

On 25 July 2007, Kibaki appointed Moi as special peace envoy to Sudan to help secure peace in southern Sudan, where an agreement, signed in early 2005, was being implemented.

Although he largely stayed away from politics in retirement, on August 28, 2007, Moi announced his support for Kibaki’s re-election and said that he would campaign for him.

Before his death on January 4, 2020, Moi had been in and out of hospital in the final years of his life.