The Daniel Arap Moi Kenyans never knew | Daniel Moi Documentary

In the early hours of this morning, Tuesday, February 4th, 2020, at about 5:20 a.m., the longest-serving president of the Republic of Kenya, and indeed Kenya’s second president, passed away peacefully in the presence of his family and close friends.

In whichever way you want to look at it, there is no doubt that Daniel Toroitich arap Moi had a huge impact on the country called Kenya. One of the peculiar African traditions is never to speak ill of the dead, and personally, I find this unacceptable. When someone passes on, whatever is said about them is not for the deceased—they are gone. It is for those left behind, especially the lessons from the life of that person that others can learn from. How will they learn anything if the truth is not told?

In keeping with the tradition of this channel, this is going to be a brutally honest analysis of the life of Daniel Toroitich arap Moi. My intention is not to offend anyone; my apologies in advance. My sole objective is for us to understand and learn lessons for a better Kenya. A very honest and candid summary of Moi would be as follows: the accidental politician, the accidental president, who ended up as an accidental legend.

When Moi was born in Sacho, Kabarnet village in Baringo County in 1924, it was very rare for anyone to go to school, but fate had other plans—some of them devastating for the young boy. These events combined to ensure Moi found himself in school. He had, of course, been born to Torotich arap Moi, or "Torotich’s son," and when he was only four years old, his father passed on, leaving him to be raised by relatives.

At the tender age of four, someone like Moi would be searching for love, attention, and direction, things that can only be provided by parents or extraordinarily caring foster parents. Moi had neither. This may explain his attraction to Christianity, where he found love and care among the servants of God and brethren of the AIC (African Inland Church) at the time. He grew up as a staunch Christian, was later baptized, and given the name Daniel. His missionary teachers soon discovered that Moi was a fast learner. Contrary to what he may have seemed at first sight, his looks were deceiving. This would serve him well throughout his life, as people often greatly underestimated his intelligence.

Moi became a teacher, and soon his image as the smartly dressed, polite teacher who did not talk much began to emerge in the village. He was tall and therefore difficult to miss, even where the ladies were concerned, if you know what I mean. In 1950, he got married to a beautiful young woman named Helena Bomett, and they started a family together. I am sure there were some people in the village who began writing Moi's biography—a predictable, perhaps boring story of a humble teacher. But fate had different ideas, and destiny started moving rapidly to change the course of this humble schoolteacher’s life. It all started with the story of a drunkard.

The colonial administration in that area was looking for a local leader, similar to a chief today but with a larger jurisdiction. They had initially appointed a man named Dr. John ole Tameno, who was now causing problems. Dr. Tameno was a drunkard—some even said an alcoholic—which might have been tolerable at any other time, but this was 1955, the height of the Mau Mau rebellion against the British colonial government. Dr. Tameno was not only a drunkard; he was suspected of sympathizing with the freedom fighters. He had to go, and quickly.

In this crisis, someone remembered the tall, polite, staunch Christian who was always seen walking around the village—a schoolteacher. The colonial administrators quickly sent for Moi, and that is how his political journey began, accidentally.

It is said that Moi dived into his new responsibilities with zeal, crisscrossing the vast Rift Valley to fulfill his duties on behalf of the colonial government. However, he had hardly settled in when more drama ensued—life-changing drama. The wind of change was sweeping across Africa, and in 1957 the first African members were scheduled to be elected to Kenya’s parliament.

In those days, no one could participate in elections without the approval of the local colonial administration. Moi received this approval quickly and, just like that, the humble schoolteacher found himself on the national political stage at a critical moment in the country’s history. Suddenly, he was among political heavyweights like Tom Mboya, Jeremiah Nyagah, Oginga Odinga, Ronald Ngala, and others.

If the colonial administration expected these newly elected African leaders to be yes-men, they were in for a shock. This initial group played a critical role in bringing about Kenyan independence, thanks mainly to Tom Mboya and his political rival, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (the father of Raila Odinga).

Now, let's move quickly through important dates in Moi’s life, which shed light on the kind of person he was and the legacy he leaves behind. Starting in 1960, barely five years after being handpicked by the colonialists, Moi was already showing growth and political acumen.

In 1960, the political party KADU (Kenya African Democratic Union) was founded by Ronald Ngala from the coast and Daniel arap Moi. Moi was an accidental founding member. At the time, he was not deeply political, but his roots were entrenched in the church. Some people in the church, who were connected to the colonial administration, were worried about Kenya’s future under radical leaders like Jomo Kenyatta. Thus, the colonialists heavily financed KADU as a counterparty to the Kenya African National Union (KANU), with the intent of having a trusted leadership they could influence.

To be concise, KADU’s position was in favor of “Majimboism” (federalism), a concept similar to today’s devolution. In those days, Majimboism was intended to protect small tribes from being dominated by larger, more influential tribes. However, KADU’s ideals were defeated, and Kenya became a centralized state under KANU.

Fast forward to 1966. The then Vice President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, had a falling out with Jomo Kenyatta and resigned. Kenyatta appointed Joseph Murumbi as the second Vice President, but he, too, resigned shortly after. Kenyatta then, somewhat reluctantly, appointed Moi as Vice President in 1967. This was yet another accidental ascension for Moi.

The appointment was not well received by some in Kenyatta's inner circle, especially the powerful “Kiambu Mafia,” who openly ridiculed Moi. He was often excluded and insulted at cabinet meetings, where jokes about him were made in Kikuyu, a language he didn’t initially understand. Despite this, Moi persevered, learning the language and bearing the disrespect with patience.

On August 22, 1978, the unthinkable happened. President Kenyatta passed away, and Moi, still Vice President, assumed the role of Acting President. This transition marked yet another "accidental" rise in Moi’s life. At this time, Moi’s leadership was characterized by humility, accessibility, and a genuine concern for the common person.

Fast forward again to August 1, 1982, when Kenya faced a coup attempt. This event changed Moi drastically. Following the coup, he became more authoritarian, adopting Kenyatta’s repressive tactics to maintain power. However, despite the changes, Moi remained a leader who crisscrossed the country, engaging with ordinary Kenyans and advocating for the underprivileged.

Finally, on December 30, 2002, Moi handed over power to Mwai Kibaki, an event that many Kenyans did not believe would actually happen. People jeered as he boarded the helicopter to fly back to Kabarak, marking the end of his presidency.

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