Former Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi, the country’s longest serving leader, has died aged 95. The demise of Moi, who ruled Kenya from 1978 to 2002, was announced by President Uhuru Kenyatta in a statement carried by the state broadcaster.
There was no immediate information on the cause of the death, but Mr Moi, who ruled for 24 years, had been in and out of hospital with breathing problems in recent months.
“It is with profound sadness and sorrow that I announce the passing of a Great African Statesman, H.E. Daniel Toroitich arap Moi, the Second President of the Republic of Kenya,” the announcement said. Mr Kenyatta ordered national flags to fly half-mast from Tuesday until sunset of the day of the burial.
“His Excellency the Former President passed on at the Nairobi Hospital on the early morning of this 4th February, 2020, in the presence of his family,” it said.
Kenyatta ordered a period of national mourning until a state funeral is held, on a date not yet announced.
Daniel Arap Moi was Kenya’s second President since independence and went on to rule the East African Republic from 1978 to 2002.
Born on September 2nd 1924 in Baringo County, Moi became the oldest living former Kenyan president, and his wily grasp of power earned him the nickname “Professor of Politics” amongst Kenyans.
He initially served as vice president under the country’s first post-independence leader, Jomo Kenyatta, before assuming the top job of the former British colony. His tenure as Kenya’s second president was plagued by corruption and nepotism.
Initially, he gained popularity by travelling the country, courting its ethnic and tribal groups. He was the one who introduced free milk for children, and pledged to do away with endemic graft and elevate Kenya’s struggling tourism-and-agriculture economy.
But only after suppressing opposition and consolidating power in a single-party state, he began a 24-year dictatorial reign. Mr. Moi dominated life in Kenya. He put his face on bank notes, ordered his portrait hung in offices and shops, enriched his family and tribal cronies and, as investigations showed, stashed billions in overseas banks. For much of his tenure, it was illegal even to speak ill of him.
Mr. Moi won five successive elections. In 1979, 1983 and 1988, he and his Kenya African National Union ran unopposed. Although some 1,000 people died in clashes over constitutional reforms, multiparty elections were held in 1992 and 1997. But the opposition was divided and disorganized, the balloting was marred by widespread violence, and Mr. Moi was re-elected both times.
Official corruption, abuse of power and a deteriorating economy exploded in 1982 in an attempted coup by low-ranking air force officers. But army loyalists crushed the uprising and all who were accused were arrested.
Hundreds were imprisoned or executed, and the service’s ranks were replaced.
Investigations after Mr. Moi stepped down found that his government had lined the pockets of his family and its allies with as much as 4$ billion. The biggest fraud in Kenya’s history, the Goldenberg affair, in which the central bank paid incentives to a company for exporting gold, diamonds and jewelry that did not exist, cost taxpayers billions and sent Kenya’s economy into a tailspin in the early 1990s.
As Mr. Moi retired, his successors found even more corruption and human rights abuses than had been suspected.
Despite being called a dictator by critics, Mr Moi enjoyed strong support from many Kenyans and was seen as a uniting figure when he took power after founding president Jomo Kenyatta died in office in 1978.
Salime Lone, a former UN spokesman who fled to exile because of harassment under Mr Moi, said the former president began so well and “so many supported your promise of a free more inclusive, corruption-free Kenya.”
He said at the beginning of his rule, Mr Moi released political prisoners and famously said it was better to eat sukuma wiki (kale) and sleep in peace than seek riches.
“How it went wrong is not for now,” Mr Lone said in a tweet
There have been mixed reactions on the death of the president. Some political leaders have tweeted sarcastically while some have genuinely expressed grief.
