Kenyan politician and president (19782002), born in the Rift Valley Province, Kenya. He was educated at mission schools, then worked as a teacher (194957). In 1957 he was elected to the Legislative Council as a member of the Kenya African Democratic Union. He served as a minister from 1961, and became vice-president under Kenyatta in 1967. When Kenyatta died in 1978, few people expected him to be capable of surviving under that enormous shadow, but, adopting the motto nyayo (footsteps to freedom), he gradually asserted his authority. He purged the army, launched a development plan, and in 1982 made the Kenyan African National Union the only legally permitted party. Despite his increasingly firm style of government, he was re-elected in 1983 and 1988. In late 1992 he held multi-party elections, which he won, though they were followed by some accusations of ballot-rigging. During his 24-year presidency his governments were notoriously corrupt, and the World Bank and the IMF suspended assistance to Kenya during much of the 1990s. In late 2004 the High Court ruled that Moi and eight other former officials would have to appear before a commission investigating corruption.
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi (born September 2, 1924) was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002.
Daniel Arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'.
Early life and entry into politics
Moi was born in Sacho, Baringo district, Rift Valley province, and was raised by his mother Kimoi Chebii following the early death of his father.
In 1955 Moi entered politics when he was elected Member of the Legislative Council for Rift Valley. KADU's aim was to defend the interests of the small minority tribes, such as the Kalenjin to which Moi belonged, against the dominance of the big Luo (Kenya) and Kĩkũyũ tribes that comprised the majority of KANU's membership (Kenyatta himself being a Kĩkũyũ).
In 1957 Moi was re-elected Member of the Legislative Council for Rift Valley, and in 1961 was elected MP for Baringo North.
Vice-Presidency
After Kenya gained independence on December 12, 1963, Kenyatta convinced Moi that KADU and KANU should be merged to complete the process of decolonisation. With an eye on the fertile lands of the rift valley populated by members of Moi's Kalenjin tribe, Kenyatta secured their support by first promoting Moi to Minister for Home Affairs in 1964, and then to vice-president in 1967. As a member of a minority tribe Moi was also an acceptable compromise for the major tribes.
However, Moi faced opposition from the Kikuyu elite known as the Kiambu Mafia, who would have preferred one of their own to be eligible for the presidency. To his credit Kenyatta withstood the political pressure and safeguarded Moi's position.
Presidency
Thus when Kenyatta died on August 22, 1978, Moi became president and took the oath of office.
On August 1, 1982, fate played into Moi's hands when forces loyal to his government defeated an attempted coup by Air Force officers led by Hezekiah Ochuka (see 1982 Kenyan coup).
Moi took the opportunity to dismiss political opponents and consolidate his power. Moi forgave them but had them kicked out of government and enthusiastically set out to consolidate his power.
Moi's regime now faced the end of the Cold War, and an economy stagnating under rising oil prices and falling prices for agricultural commodities. At that time Kenya had received much foreign aid, and the country was accepted as being well governed with Moi as a legitimate leader and firmly in charge.
However, a new thinking emerged after the end of the Cold War, and as Moi became increasingly viewed as a despot, aid was withheld pending compliance with economic and political reforms. One of the key conditions imposed on his regime was the restoration of a multi-party system, which Moi managed to do against fierce opposition, single handedly convincing the delegates at the KANU conference at Kasarani in December 1991.
Moi won elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by political killings on both sides. Moi skillfully exploited Kenya's mix of ethnic tensions in these contests, with the ever present fear of the smaller tribes being dominated by the larger tribes.
Criticism and corruption allegations
In 1999 the findings of NGOs like Amnesty International and a special investigation by the United Nations were published which indicated that human rights abuses were prevalent in Kenya under the Moi regime.
Moi has also been implicated in the 1990s Goldenberg scandal and subsequent cover-ups, where the Kenyan government subsidised exports of gold far in excess of the foreign currency earnings of exporters.
Half-hearted inquiries that began at the request of foreign aid donors came to nothing during Moi's presidency. Although it appears that the peaceful transfer of power to Mwai Kibaki may have involved an understanding that Moi would not stand trial for offences committed during his presidency, foreign aid donors reiterated their requests and Kibaki reopen the inquiry. As the inquiry has progressed, Moi, his two sons, Philip and Gideon (now a member of Parliament), and his daughter June, as well as a host of high-ranking Kenyans, have been implicated. In bombshell testimony delivered in late July 2003, Treasury Permanent Secretary Joseph Magari recounted that in 1991, Moi ordered him to pay Ksh34.5 million ($460,000) to Goldenberg, contrary to the laws then in force.
Stepping down, retirement
Moi was constitutionally barred from running in the 2002 presidential elections. Some of his supporters floated the idea of amending the constitution to allow him to run for a third term, but Moi preferred to retire, choosing Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya's first President, as his successor. In elections, KANU (Moi's party) was routed in a campaign led from the front by Raila Odinga.
Moi handed over power in a poorly organised handing over ceremony that had one of the largest crowds ever seen in Nairobi in attendance.
Moi now lives in retirement, largely shunned by the current political establishment, but widely popular with the masses, his presence never failing to quickly gather a crowd. Kibaki called Moi to arrange for a meeting to discuss the way forward after the defeat.
Personal life
Daniel Arap Moi married Lena Moi (born Helena Bommet) in 1950, but they separated in 1974, before his presidency. Daniel Arap Moi has eight children, five sons and three daughters. Among the children are Gideon Moi (an MP), Jonathan Toroitich (a former rally driver) and Philip Moi (a retired army officer).
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