In his 24 years of ruling the country, he was a man everyone revered and feared. Nobody wanted to cross his path for fear of facing the music. However, just like every coin, he too had his other side. There is much more to this man than what we knew.
At 94, Kenya’s second president Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi has for a long time been believed to be living healthy by having vegetables from his vast Kabarak farm as his meal. However, sources reveal that is not the case. In real sense, he is a ‘carnivore’, slaughtering a sheep every day for his meal. One would therefore wonder how at his age, he appears to be so strong. Perhaps his longevity can be attributed to genetics, and not food. His family is after all known for longevity.
Diet aside, Lee Njiru shares some of the valuable lessons he got from his boss, Moi:
Laughter is the best medicine
He laughed very often, even in public. Whenever comedians such as the late Ojwang came to perform at State House, he laughed heartily.
And then there were also presidents who used to make Moi laugh. One time we went for a State visit to Cyprus, whose President, Glafcos Clerides, was over 80 years old at the time.
During the State dinner, he made a few jokes which made Moi laugh — although he was slightly embarrassed, but all the same he laughed.
Listen to people’s advice
There was a man called Amos Kandie. He wanted to be MP for Baringo Central, challenging Moi for the seat.
The international press was there on the eve of presenting nomination papers, not to cover the presentations, but the expected manhandling of Kandie for challenging Mzee.
Because I knew what was happening, I went to Mzee’s presidential suite. I stood at the door, waiting for him to wake up. “What is it?” he asked me when he finally opened the door to head for breakfast.
“Your Excellency, give me one minute.” “What?”
“Just one minute Mzee. Last night I threw a party for a battery of international journalists. They are here, but they have actually not come to cover you presenting the papers, they have come to cover your security people beating up, molesting and tearing Kandie to pieces … that is the news they want,” I told him, and then continued.
“Mzee, don’t let the security people spoil your name. And when you present your papers, just greet him. You will frustrate all these journalists.”
“OK, leave it to me,” he responded. At breakfast he pretended we had not met. “Can somebody call the OCPD for me?” he asked. “Also, call the DC here. And where is my security chief?”
When they came, he told them not to rough up Kandie. “Don’t touch him. If anybody touches him, I will sack him. I want him to be given VIP security. Do you understand?” “Yes Sir,” they all responded.
Mzee went and presented his papers, and as he was coming out, he met Kandie. “If you have done something commendable for Baringo people, they will elect you,” he told Kandie. “But if you have not done anything, I am sorry, you will not get any votes.”
That man, he got … I don’t think he got even 1,000 votes, but Mzee got over 35,000. So sometimes we intervene to save situations, because he did not know what was being planned.
Let your guard down sometimes
One time, while visiting the late GG Kariuki at his home, one of Moi’s jacket buttons fell off. The entire presidential team had guns of all types, including rifles and grenades, but we did not have a thread and a needle.
GG Kariuki’s daughter Nyakinyua came to the rescue but she was full of fear. How do you touch the president’s jacket, you can get shot!
So Mzee asked: “Nyakinyua, wewe uko na sindano? Do you have a thread?” She said yes. “Can you fix it for me?”
Mzee removed the jacket and handed it over to the lady. She went into one of her rooms and fixed the button. We were overwhelmed and ashamed because we had everything, but we could not fix a button!
Lee Njiru remains indebted to the man who has protected him. For that he is forever grateful.
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Source: The Daily Nation
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