Leakey: How Moi helped Muslims and crushed Safina party

Philip Leakey addressing mourners during a funeral service for Former President Daniel Arap Moi at Kabarak University. [Stafford Ondego/Standard]

A former MP yesterday narrated how former President Daniel arap Moi won the support of Muslims through two presidential decrees.

Philip Leakey (pictured), who served as Langata MP from 1979 to 1992, said the president intervened to get the title deed for a mosque in Kibra processed.

The president also waived the mandatory requirement for post-mortems to be conducted on bodies of people professing the Muslim faith because the religion frowned on the procedure.

While eulogising Moi, Mr Leakey described how he met the president and presented his case.

"You have raised money for every cause in this country; churches, schools, universities, everything ... but one is missing. You have never raised money for a mosque."

"That is true," said Moi. "What do we do?”

Leakey also recalled that Moi did not like surprises so he called Commissioner of Lands Wilson Gachanja and ordered him to ensure that a title deed for the land where the mosque sat was prepared and brought to him.

The president intended to visit Kibra for a funds drive and wanted to have the document so he could present it to the presiding Imam.

The former politician added that he told Moi that the worst thing that could happen to a Muslim after death was for the body to undergo an autopsy.

"Would you be willing, by presidential decree, to remove that legal requirement for Muslims unless for reasons that are suspicious when a person dies?" Leakey asked. Moi agreed.

Leakey also described how his brother's political ambitions put him in a difficult position.

"My brother, Richard, decided to fight Kanu and created his own party, Safina. Soon people were whispering that I was not a true Kanu man. So I made a point of visiting Mzee to assure him that I would stand steadfast with him."

Leakey recalled Moi telling him that no politician could succeed if he made politics personal, telling him: "You should never hate a person. Hate what they do."