By VINCENT MABATUK
His name may not ring a bell to the younger generation, but Musa Kurgat is remembered in Baringo County as the man who ruffled feathers when he introduced opposition politics in the then exclusive ‘Kanu zone’.
When he hosted Mwai Kibaki, then an opposition leader, in Baringo in the mid 1990s, people thought he had gone out of his mind.
Supporters of the then President Moi claimed he had been sent to provoke the head of state.
Mr Kurgat, who fought Kanu politicians at the height of the clamour for multiparty politics, says he has no regrets or apologies to make.
Nobody in Baringo dared challenge the former ruling party, even when they knew the party top shots were on the wrong. He says he only wanted to show Kenyans that not all of the Baringo people were timid.
“I have never been a radical. What I can’t stand is seeing people do wrong things almost with impunity. My conscience told me I was doing the right thing,” he stresses.
The father of nine says he was very bitter because of what some Kanu officials did behind President Moi’s back.
“The former president was not scared of the opposition but some individuals fought and blocked politicians from other parties from visiting Baringo. This is what I wanted to stop,” he says.
He says he just did his job and is happy he opened up the democratic space in Baringo county.
Before that, no one dared point a finger at Mr Moi or the ruling party.
Because it was impossible to rent a room for his party in Eldama Ravine town, his house at Kokorwonin village had to serve both as the Democratic Party (DP) office and his residence.
