Emeka-Mayaka Gekara

There were only three people in Senator Gideon’s room at the Nairobi Hospital shortly after the death of his father, former President Daniel arap Moi at dawn on February 4.

They were Gideon, who is the former President’s last born, his wife Zahra and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s sister Christina Pratt. 

According Senator Moi, he received a call from former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta shortly after. 

The senator had pitched tent at the hospital, where he had a room, as he coordinated his father’s healthcare.

By that time, the younger Moi had contacted Uhuru to inform him of the former Head of State’s death.

The President was en-route to the US where he was scheduled to address a prayer breakfast meeting with Opposition chief Raila Odinga over the Building Bridges Initiative.

Truly indebted

While the President declared that Moi, who he considers his father and mentor, be accorded a State funeral with full military and civilian honours, Raila cut short his assignment in Ethiopia to fly home for the send-off.

During Mo’s funeral, Senator Moi said they were “truly indebted” to the Kenyatta family for their support during the mourning.

“At 6am Christina Pratt who had had an operation came down from her room down to condole with me. It was her, myself and my wife.

Only the three of us. It is when you are at your weakest when you see those who are with you. And mum (Mama Ngina) called me immediately. We are truly indebted to your family,” he told the President.

Addressing the mourners, Uhuru said Moi had been there for his family after the death of their father.

 “He was my father. He worked with my father and he raised us after my father’s death. I have benefited from his love.

I have learnt politics from him. I have also faced his wrath,”  Uhuru said during the ceremony at which Gideon was crowned as his father’s political heir.

Moi became President in 1978 following the death of President Jomo Kenyatta who he served as a loyal deputy for 12 years.

Moi’s burial ceremony exposed the political links between the Moi, Kenyatta and Jaramogi Odinga families that have dominated Kenyan politics since independence.

This was best captured in Raila’s speech in defence of Uhuru and Gideon over accusations by politicians associated with Deputy President William Ruto that they hail from privileged families keen to hog political power.

In his speech, Raila said the ties between the three families go back to the struggle for independence.

 “Moi was one the eight African Members of Legislative Council. They were very few but fought colonialism.

They confronted the imperialists and demanded the release of political detainees, including Jomo Kenyatta,” said Raila.

Raila indicated that he had on April 12, 2018 visited then ailing Moi at his Kabarak home accompanied by Vihiga senator George Khaniri and Mvita MP Abdulsamad Nassir, incidentally both scions of politicians who worked with Moi. 

And on April 5, last year, Raila also visited Moi who  condoled him for the loss of his son, Fidel, and reminded him that he owed his other son, Raila Junior, a bull that he had promised him during the latter’s wedding which he attended.

Supremacy war

Raila’s dismissal of the “dynasty” narrative visibly excited the President who was seen foot thumping.

 “Why should someone think that he is more entitled to lead this country than Raila Odinga because he is the son of Oginga Odinga or Gideon because he is the son of Moi?

Gideon has right like any other Kenyan to vie for any position that he wants in this country,” said Raila who seen as Ruto’s main opponent in the 2022 presidential election.

Senator Moi and Ruto have been battling for supremacy in Kalenjin politics.

In his eulogy at Nyayo Stadium on Tuesday, Raila defended the former President who detained him for nine years, saying they had forgiven each other.

“He made some mistakes and I was one of the victims but he was also forgiving like I am also forgiving and we made our peace and we shook hands,” Raila told mourners.

And in Kabarak, he reminded the crowd that it was his father,  first vice-President Jaramogi, who in his book, Not Yet Uhuru, described Moi as a giraffe that sees far.