Enduring lessons from Moi’s long and outstanding political career

In his nearly five decades of public service since joining the Legco as a Rift Valley representative in the mid-1950s through to when he surprised both friend and foe by leaving the presidency when it was anathema for Africa’s big men to do so, President Daniel arap Moi has left an indelible imprint and affected the direction of the nation in the most profound of ways.

From charting the country’s political direction, to impacting the socio-economic lives of Kenyans, to pan-African and global peace-building efforts, Moi left landmarks that will remain key chapters in our history.

Yet the second president of the republic’s improbable rise, from a bare-foot herdsboy to the country’s most powerful man, is an inspirational story of triumph over adversity; of grit and determination, and humility and focus, all rolled into one.

He was loyal, kind, generous and given to pulling smart political moves.

A diligent assistant, Moi served as President Kenyatta’s vice president for 12 years. His loyalty was rewarded and in spite of a contrived plot to block him, he succeeded Jomo Kenyatta.

Moi towered over the country like a colossus. He was a shrewd and calculating politician; a father-figure to many whom he raised and educated; a tough disciplinarian and strict administrator who brooked no dissent.

Others have unflattering comments about the man.

Yet as his biographer Andrew Morton puts in Moi: the Making of an African Statesman, many never quite understood Kenya’s second president.  

“For much of his life, he has survived by disguise,” Morton says, “a characteristic that means that he instinctively shies away from self-revelation.”

A master politician, he earned the sobriquet ‘professor of politics’ because he seemingly ran rings around his political opponents. A nationalist, he believed in staying true to the ideals of the Independence heroes.

His knack to surprise his opponents again and again is legendary. When it seemed like he wouldn’t budge, Moi would give shocking concessions. For instance, for long, he fought off attempts to reintroduce multi-partyism. In his wisdom, it would undermine the peace and unity that had taken years to build. And in 1991, when nobody expected him to, he allowed the repeal of Section 2A of the Constitution, opening up the political space and reintroducing presidential term limits.

A resolute leader, Moi held steady as storms buffeted the young Republic, even as newly formed nations across the continent fell victim to coups and sectarian uprising.

The failed coup of 1982, the Cold War and the economic meltdown of 1990s could have sunk any country.

A visionary, Moi steered the young Republic after the death of the founding president in October 1978, famously coining the Fuata Nyayo clarion call of peace, love and unity. His philosophy, he believed would be defined and hewed to the people’s minds and hearts through education. Besides, education was a class-leveller, a choice-giver and a door-opener to the many youngsters who enrolled in schools he helped build.

His passion saw the successful rollout of the 8-4-4 system of education in 1986. Enrolment swelled, and transition rates bulged as more children from poor backgrounds went to school.

A philathropist, he spent a lot of his fortune to educate, treat and help in community projects. He championed environmental conservation when it was not chic. He took part in soil conservation efforts through building gabions and planting trees.

A pan-Africanist, he was at the forefront of championing the course of the African. He sent Kenya's military to peace missions in, among others, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Bosnia and Kosovo.

He was sympathetic to the anti-apartheid cause led by Nelson Mandela in South Africa, and helped stabilise a chaotic Uganda in the 1980s. When Mohammed Siad Barre was overthrown in Somalia in 1991, Moi made several attempts to bring peace in the Horn of Africa nation.

He opened the doors to refugees fleeing strife in Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Somalia and the Congo. To him, all Africans were brothers bound together by a common cord.

A staunch Christian, he believed in forgiving and turning the other cheek. He prayed fervently and never missed church on Sunday Sermon usually, but not always at Kabarak Community Chapel.

His greatest gift perhaps is his ability for “self-renewal and adaptability”. He had the capacity to put everything behind and to move on as if there was nothing to worry about. And he proved this when, in 2002, he left power. Thanks to his survival instincts and a team of strong-headed civil servants, whom he trusted, he buttressed his credentials as a democrat and a man who cared for his country.

Yet there are those who would like to see the bad side of things. But it would be fair to conclude that Moi laid the foundation for Kenya to face 21st century challenges.

No doubt, by the time he was leaving the stage, Kenya was a beacon of peace and stability in a region mined by hunger, violence and strife. Moi had other interests beyond politics and contributed immensely to the economy. His interests in banking, insurance, transport, telco, media, schools and hospitality employs thousands of Kenyans.

In all these, Kabarak High School’s motto “On Earth We Rise” aptly encapsulates Moi’s “sojourn through the earth”, to use one of his memorable phrases. He was a man driven to do good. He believed that charity begins at home. And he went to great lengths to pull others to his level.