Former and current Western Kenya leaders on Tuesday eulogised Daniel arap Moi as a symbol of unity.
The retired President died at dawn on Tuesday aged 95.
Western Elders Council chairman Philip Masinde said Moi will be remembered for fostering peace and unity in the country.
Masinde, who was a Cabinet minister in the Moi era, said the former head of state treated all Kenyans equally whether they supported him or not.
"It is during Moi's era that Western was best represented in government as he gave the Luhyas not less than four Cabinet ministers," he said.
Kepher Imbwenya, who used to lead the Mulembe Africa choir that sang for Moi whenever he was in Western Kenya, remembered Moi for uniting the country.
"We celebrate him. Let him rest. He lived long and saw what he did wrong and what he did right but of importance is the unity of the country," he said.
Former Webuye MP Soul Busolo described Moi as a champion for gender parity.
"The current women in leadership should be grateful to Moi because it was him who championed women leadership by establishing and strengthening Maendelo ya Wanawake out of most of the female leaders emerged," he said.
Former Kakamega mayor Ponyochi Kunyobo said the retired president provided proactive leadership compared to the present "reactive" leadership.
Moi's style of leadership, he said, was fair although he did not devolve development and power. The 8-4-4 system of education was meant to create self-reliant Kenyans through technical subjects.
Charles Omutanyi said Moi cherished education and introduced free milk to encourage children to go to school.
Former Cabinet minister Burudi Nabwera described Moi as a fair leader who believed in the unity of the country and encouraged patriotism.
“I worked closely with Moi especially when I was in charge of provincial administration and I can tell you he was a religious man. May his soul rest in peace,” Nabwera said.
Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe said Moi was a statesman who believed in Kenya more than himself.
He said Moi ensured Kenyans were secure from external aggression.
“He enticed some of us to go to school where we were ensured of getting a packet of free milk even when we had nothing to eat back at home and this made us learn,” he said.
Wangwe said that the fact that Moi handed over power peacefully demonstrates that he loved Kenya as a country.
Kakamega Kanu branch chairman Chacha Weche said Moi managed to hold the country together despite him being accused of dictatorship tendencies.
"Moi's legacy is the unity which the successive regimes have destroyed," he said
Edited by R.Wamochie
