Bishop Yego fulfills Mzee Moi's last wish

AIC presiding Bishop Silas Yego with former president Daniel Moi. [File, Standard]

Presiding Bishop Silas Yego fulfilled the last wish of the late Daniel arap Moi of giving bibles to his children during the former President’s funeral at his Kabarak home.

 

The retired bishop of the Africa Inland Church was a long term friend of Mzee Moi who frequently met during religious activities.

The Bishop issued the bibles to Jennifer, Raymond, Gideon, Doris, John Mark, Jonathan and Philip before reading to them a verse as instructed by Mzee Moi

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may observe according to all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success,” he read.

As mourners awaited the burial of Mzee Moi, Retired Bishop Yego paid his glowing tribute with a touch of humour.

When he took the podium to address the mourners, Yego left mourners in stitches on various occasions of his hilarious narration about Mzee Moi’s traits.  

He, firstly, said that God had planned President Uhuru Kenyatta to lose the 2002 contest so that he could be the one leading the nation in mourning Mzee Moi.

“It was good you never won 2002. Who would have brought this great burial ceremony?” asked Bishop Yego.

He added: “I am not saying I am doubting your successor but what you have done is even higher sorry for that.” A statement that left the crowd in stitches but most touched was President Uhuru.

The retired bishop would later narrate how he met an old man during a mission in Pokot who had similar traits with Mzee Moi of compelling people to repent.

Yego said he asked the Pokot residents if anyone wanted to be saved when a man suddenly interrupted and shouted at him to sit down.

According to Yego, he thought the man was angered but an old man stood and asked the crowd if they had heard what Yego was saying.

“The people nodded yes and the old man told them to raise their hands. Everyone raised their hands and they were all saved on that day,” he said.

Yego said this experience reminded him of Mzee Moi being vocal about salvation. He said Mzee Moi wanted every person to repent and he would occasionally ask his ministers if they were saved.

“He would tell us I want you all to believe in Jesus so that you go to heaven with me,” said  Yego.  

Yego also told the mourners how a cunning former MP Mark Too tricked businessman Jackson Kibor to kneel and ask for forgiveness after they had a disagreement yet Mzee Moi had not directed anything of such.

 “Mark tricked Kibor when he heard Mzee Moi approaching and told Kibor to Kneel. Kibor akapiga magoti chwa!” he said, adding that once Mzee Moi entered the room and Mark asked his father to forgive him.

From the said incident, Yego said Mzee Moi was forgiving and he appreciated those who declared to have forgiven Moi after they were wronged during his tenure as president.

Apart from the light moments, the retired bishop also somberly recalled how Mzee Moi was prepared to die quoting his favourite bible verse on death.

“He (Moi) knew that one day he will die,” said before quoting the bible verse as “We are aliens and pilgrims before you as were all our fathers our days on earth are as the shadow.”?