Serving under Moi, Joe Nyagah recounts

I had the privilege of serving in Moi’s last Cabinet. I had known him from my childhood as he and my father, Jeremiah Nyagah, had been colleagues as teachers and in politics.

I also served as his ambassador to Brussels (Belgium) before being appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Airways. At KQ, I was charged with preparing the national carrier for privatisation. Moi joined politics as a nominated member of Legislative Council (Legco). He was elected in1957 alongside Ronald Ngala, Tom Mboya, ginga Odinga, Masinde Muliro, James NzauMuimi and Bernard Mate. Each of them represented a province.

In 1958, they formed the African Elected Members Organisation to put pressure on the colonial government to raise the African representation to 14.

The government acceded to their demand but the number was reduced to six. The subsequent elections (under restricted franchise) brought in among others Taitta Towett, Gikonyo Kiano,Jeremiah Nyagah, Justus ole Tipis and Lawrence Oguda.

The African Legco members were united on their demand forKenya’s independence. But as negotiations for independence progressed, divisions emerged – some engineered by the colonial settlers. The differences led to the creation of Kanu and Kadu political parties.

Ngala and Moi were in Kadu and at one time, they lived in the same flat in Eastleigh.

Kanu won the pre-Independence elections in 1963 and founding President Jomo Kenyatta took over the country’s leadership.

It had opposed the regional (majimbo) structure of the government advocated by Kadu and applied every political rule to kill its opponent. To bring the opposition into his government President Jomo Kenyatta appointed Moi minister for Home Affairs after Kadu dissolved itself in November of 1964.

Three years later in 1967, Moi became the Vice- President. His tenure as No 2 was riddled with problems over succession as the aging Kenyatta’s health deteriorated.

However,he survived the succession politics with the help of Kenyatta and powerful people like Attorney General Charles Njonjo.

Moi was strongly grounded in Christianity. His faith must have helped him as he navigated the tricky management of the country. He attended church service every Sunday and got full coverage from state broadcaster KBC.

He later set up Kabarak School and Kabarak University along the lines of US Christian institutions. The president often spoke to us about his intention to become a preacher after his retirement. It was a miracle for a man from Tugen – a small Rift Valley community – to have survive Kenya’s tribal politics.

He quickly and cleverly strengthened the loose alliance of Kalenjin communities for his survival.

With his leadership in the Kalenjin community secured, he befriended tribal chiefs like Mulu Mutisya, KariukiChotara and Shariff Nassir for survival nationally. These convenient chieftains effectively became “tribal presidents”.

Moi understood the politics of the day like the back of his hand. Each tribe wanted to be at the “high table”. His senior appointments had a national outlook. He accommodated even the children of “tribes in opposition” and appointed them to senior positions.

Early in his administration, he brought Jaramogi Oginga Odinga from political wilderness and appointed him the chairman of the Cotton Lint and Seed Marketing Board – a parastatal.

He also released all detainees on taking over. However, his reconciliatory political approach took an about-turn after the failed military coup  in 1982. He “controlled” the country through a strengthened Kanu. A district Kanu chairman was more powerful than a Cabinet minister from the area.

A powerful Provincial Administration ensured that his plans were implemented to the letter. That way, Moi knew what was happening in every corner of the country.

This, together with his keen interest in intelligence and security matters, gave him unparalleled control and understanding of the country.

Moi was a “full time” president. He had many informal systems that ensured that he knew what was happening in the country. In addition, he toured the country extensively by road. That way, he would get first-hand information on the mood of the country. We normally accompanied him on many of those trips. When people elect you, they believe that they own you and it is important for them to feel you through such visits. His management of the Cabinet meetings was legendary. He would be thoroughly briefed by the Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet before sessions.

His meetings were always on time. He was a good time manager and never kept us waiting. By the time I joined the Cabinet, he treated us like his children or younger siblings.

This gave him authority over us in the African sense as the young always respect the elders. This made us work the extra mile to implement our elder’s national programmes.

Moi handled IMF, World Bank and other development partners cleverly especially during the Cold War. He, however, took too long to realise that the world had changed after the Cold War ended.

He was on many an occasion attacked by Western countries. Donor aid collapsed, pressure for increased democratic space increased as he struggled to manage this new unexpected environment in his last term. Kenya is a respected country. Moi’s presence especially at the OAU, renamed AU, was noticeable. Joining him on such trips one noticed how his colleagues treated him with respect.

He toured the entire world and this put the country on the world map.

Moi struggled with corruption charges. Initially, his opponents saw him as weak – “a passing cloud”. Many saw him as a typical African chief.

He was accused of bringing too many unqualified people into the system. He was compared with the founding President.

But he overcame this with his exceptional energy and capacity to work. He held many harambees and made numerous foreign trips.His one o’clock appointments and sackings through KBC were frequent. The man dominated KBC news before the liberalisation of the airwaves. Unlike many African presidents of his time, he handed the country’s leadership to Mwai Kibaki peacefully in 2002. Many Kenyans were astonished that Moi would do such a thing. They feared that he would behave like some of his African contemporaries.

His management of the political transition, even after his preferred candidate lost, will always place him on the right side of history.

All said, Moi was human and made mistakes. He served this country for many years. I am happy that I had the privilege of working under him.

I learned a great deal on what to do or not to do in my public service life.