Kaleli: How sermon opened door for long ties with President

The invite to State House threw his head into a spin and got him trembling. Had he done something wrong while preaching during the service attended by the President?

Jones Kaleli had delivered the sermon at the Africa Inland Church (AIC) Ziwani in a service attended by then President Daniel arap Moi. That was in 1985, shortly after returning home from the United States after studies.

“After the service, he called me and asked if I could go to State House the following day at 7.30am,” says Reverend Kaleli.

The reverend, who is former Vice-Chancellor of Kabarak University, says the invite surprised him and as much as he accepted it, he was trembling and so many unanswered questions were going through his mind.

He was only 36 and had not in his wildest dreams thought of meeting the President leave along an invite by the Head of State himself. Here was also a man whose means of transport was Kibera Number Eight buses. He wondered how he was to get to State House.

“What wrong did I do while delivering the sermon? And how was I going to State House? I did not have a car,” recalls Kaleli.

He says immediately the President’s motorcade left, he confided in one of the church elders, Jasper Mumo, that he had been invited to State House but he was confused.

“Prof Mumo agreed to take me to State House using his small Peugeot 204,” says Kaleli.

When they arrived at the President’s office, he says, they found him waiting for them and he ushered them in.

Bombshell

“The President told me the message I preached was very powerful,” he says, adding that he was still waiting for the bombshell. He was not convinced the President was just calling him to say that.

Kaleli says he had on that Sunday taught on how children learn of their heavenly Father through their earthly father.

“I had tried to entangle the topic saying that children get the image of God through what their fathers do and how they behave,” says Kaleli.

He says the President just told him he wanted to say “thank you for the powerful message” and after few exchanges, he opened a briefcase which was by his side.

He says President Moi removed wads of notes and gave him Sh10,000. He gave Mumo the same amount.

“Sh10,000? This was the first time I was holding such sum of money...,” says Kaleli.

He says immediately they left the President’s office - and still within the lawns of State House - Mumo called his wife, telling her to ask for anything she wished and she would get it.

“His wife asked for an ice cream! Of course she did not expect me to have more than what could buy ice cream then,” recalls Kaleli, amid laughter.

He says after the meeting, Moi continued to attend service at AIC Ziwani. Kaleli also got invitations to preach at Moi High School Kabarak where at times the President would invite him for lunch at his home after the service.

He says in 1987, Moi requested him to fully join Kabarak High School, a request he was not comfortable with.

Pray over it

“I still was not sure what it would be and I requested him to give me time to think and pray over it,” says Kaleli.

He says to his astonishment, Moi acceded to his request without putting him under undue pressure.

“This was the President, who had the power to command me but he was very humble and just made a request,” says Kaleli.

He says in 1988, he agreed to join Kabarak but for only three years. The three years, however, turned into decades.

“I cannot explain but it is his humility that really touched me,” he says.

He says President Moi’s humility and dedication to God is captured by his religious devotions and dedication to God’s work as shown by the amount of personal resources he devoted to God.

At Kabarak Community Chapel, the design and building, which Kenyans were for the time Moi was the president were used to every Sunday as the national broadcaster KBC would beam it while attending service, is designed in a unique manner that summarises the life of Jesus.

“It was designed in Tel Aviv and all the panels represent the major events in the life of Jesus Christ,” says Kaleli.

He adds that President Moi declined the writings of the first plaque, which was to be placed at the entrance of the chapel and had his name. He ordered that his name be removed.

His first son’s wedding was postponed for a week in 1990 because the chapel had not been dedicated to God.

“Jonathan’s wedding was to take place on January 14, 1990, but he said it could not go on because the chapel had not been dedicated. The day became the dedication day and a week later, the wedding took place,” recalls Kaleli.

Kaleli, who accompanied President Moi to most of his foreign trips in his 24 years in power, says the first thing he would do when staying in a place was to locate a church, which he would attend on Sunday.

“It did not matter which church as long as it was a Protestant church,” he says.

Another unique thing about President Moi is that he underlined Bible verses he liked.

“This tells you he read his Bible,” says Kaleli.