Departed Moi eulogised as keen promoter of peace

Mercy Mwai @wangumarci

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and his Senate counterpart Kenneth Lusaka yesterday described former President Daniel arap Moi as a person keen on country’s peace.

The two Speakers of Parliament yesterday led legislators in mourning Moi who died  yesterday morning at the Nairobi Hospital.

In a statement sent to newsrooms, Muturi said  Moi would be remembered for his great efforts towards consolidating peace and tranquility within the horn of Africa and largely the East African Region, at a very difficult time for the region and the African continent.

His death, he said, has left a huge gap among African elderly statesmen whom young leaders look up to from time to time for wise counsel on leadership.

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 “In President Daniel arap Moi, we mourn the passing on of a distinguished son of Kenya and the great African icon whose passion for the renaissance of the East African Community is unmatched,” reads his statement.

“President Moi was an amiable great man full of cheer. He leaves an indelible print in the mastery of Kenyan political governance, where he managed to gather sufficient support from all areas in the country to preserve Kenya as one nation,” he added.

Muturi  termed the late Moi as an astute politician, who always brimmed with insights and revealing anecdotes and who employed pragmatic nationalism to keep the country together for the 24 years that he led the nation.

Lusaka on the other hand said Moi’s administration under the guiding Nyayo Philosophy brought the country together and promoted tranquillity which spurred growth in agriculture, education, health and infrastructural development, among other sectors.

He said Moi will be remembered for championing a motion that allowed African teachers to form their own association; which is the present day, formidable Kenya National Union of Teachers.

“President Moi’s early days in public service, as an educationist, made him develop unmatched passion for the industry— inadvertently contributing to his rich legacy.

Having served under mzee in the then Provincial Administration as a District Officer and District Commissioner, I admired him for his punctuality, penchant for statistics and promotion of talent through music,” he said.

Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Aden Duale said  Moi will be remembered for championing for peace and togetherness of the country.

Duale said Moi will not only be remembered as the first President who brought the pastoralists community to the national platform but also as the president who allowed the repeal of section 2A when the country was at crossroad.

 “Moi will be remembered for agreeing to repeal Section 2A to allow multi-party democracy and in 2002 he handed over power smoothly,” he said.