The following are snippets in the life of Kenya’s second president.
President Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi ascended to power in 1978 following the death of first president Jomo Kenyatta.
Moi survived a coup organised by the Airforce wing of Kenya Army on August 2, 1982, led by Senior Private Hezekiah Ochuka.
Trending on the Nyayo Philosophy, meaning following in the footsteps of Jomo Kenyatta, which was just a pacifying word for the Mount Kenya region countrymen, Mr Moi’s leadership was far more different than Kenyatta’s except in the grabbing of land and corruption.
During the formative years of the presidency, Mr Moi initiated many school building projects and is credited as a lover of education.
In 1991, Mr Moi was forced to repeal section 2A if the constitution to allow for multi-party politics.
Politics
Daniel Moi was a powerful secretary General for the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU) party after independence.
Moi was appointed Vice President in 1967 after the official fall of the opposition politics in Kenya. Kenya was a de facto one-party state at that time.
When Kenyatta was ailing in the 70s, Moi used Harambees to popularise himself to the masses in the then 8 provinces of Kenya.
When Moi came to power in1978, Kenya became a de-jure one-party state.
After the 1982 coup, Moi arrested scores of opponents and became more dictatorial. Among those arrested were Senior Private Hezekiah Ochuka (hanged for it), Raila Odinga (spent 9 years in detention without trial), Gitobu Imanyara, Lawyer Miguna Miguna (fled later to Canada), Koigi Wa Wamwere etc.
Many opponents would not escape with their lives, they are former Foreign Affairs Minister Robert Ouko, Bishop Alexander Muge, Titus Adungosi (former UoN Student leader) etc
Economy
Like Kenyatta before him and Kenyatta after him, President Moi destroyed the Kenya economy leading to structural adjustments by the Bretton Woods institutions ie. Wold Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Many Kenyans lost their jobs including in government, it is people like Manu Chandaria, the industrialist that were using the money they gained from business to shore up some state functions like paying the Kenya Police service personnel.
From 4.5 per cent in 2001, economic growth had slowed down to 0.6 per cent when he handed over.
The World Bank and some other donor institutions had abandoned Kenya, no door money visited these shows from 1998 to 2001.
Education
Moi built many schools, some of which are under his name.
He introduced free milk for school going children all over Kenya.
Daniel Moi who was said to be ‘a passing cloud’ by the Mount Kenya leaders who saw him as a person who had undeservedly taken power from them ultimately ruled Kenya for 24 years.
