World media has hailed former President Daniel Moi as a peaceable man in their coverage of his demise this morning.

In their reportage, reminiscence and analysis about his political career and legacy, major international news outlets including the Associated Press (AP), the Agence France-Presse (AFP), Deutsche Welle (DW), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the New York Times,  Reuters and Aljazeera have praised Moi for “giving up power peacefully” in 2002.

The news outlets noted that Mzee Moi was a “unifying figure” who positioned Kenya as “an island of political stability in Africa,” at a time when the country was “surrounded by neighbours at war.”

Mzee Moi’s decision to allow for a smooth transfer of power to retired President Mwai Kibaki was a rarity in Africa at the time, the news outlets noted, considering that he had been in power for 24 years and had won five successive elections.

And what really played into the rarity of his gesture was that his preferred successor, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, the current president had lost to Mwai Kibaki. But he humbly stepped down, paving way for Mr Kibaki. 

Here are some highlights from the media outlets:

The New York Times

“Daniel arap Moi, who ruled Kenya for decades before giving up power peacefully, has died.”

“Under Mr Moi, the country was an island of political stability in Africa.”

BBC

“Defenders of Moi's legacy point to his often-repeated line that he kept Kenya "peaceful", while several African countries were experiencing strife.”

Mzee Moi’s “allies credited him for maintaining stability in the East African state.”

DW

In an opinion piece, DW’s   Daniel Pelz writes: “Moi presented himself as the great democrat who humbly accepted defeat. He did make sure that Kenya did not go the way of many other African countries and I admire him for that.”

Aljazeera

“Moi was seen as a unifying figure when he took power in 1978. He led Kenya for 24 years before stepping down in 2002.”

AFP

Mzee Moi was “praised for keeping Kenya a relative haven of peace during a chaotic period in east Africa which saw the genocide in Rwanda and civil wars in Burundi and Somalia.”

Reuters

Mzee Moi “kept his country on a relatively stable footing during his tenure…”

The news agency noted that the former president “succeeded in keeping Kenya relatively stable compared with many of its troubled neighbours, and he worked for peace in the region.”

AP

“Moi enjoyed strong support from many Kenyans and was seen as a unifying figure when he took power after founding president Jomo Kenyatta died in office in 1978.”