When I completed my undergraduate studies at Moi University, the first job offer I got was to be a public relations officer in the same institution. My duties, among others, had to do with managing the office of the chancellor, vice chancellor and the chair of the university council. At the time, President Moi was the Chancellor, D Nathaniel Tum was the chairman of council while Prof Raphael Munavu was the vice chancellor. Being the Head of State, Moi also doubled up as the chancellor for all the other four public universities that Kenya had at that time.
As our chancellor, Moi had a stately, fully furnished office located on the first floor of the Mackay Building within the university campus. Though he would use it only when he came to preside over the university's graduation ceremonies, the office had all the equipment and paraphernalia befitting the stature of a president, including a state chair, executive desk and a specially designed table, complete with rod brackets where he would place his trade mark rungu whenever he called in.
The nature of my work and the seemingly privileged pedestal it accorded me put me in a position to once in a while engage with the Office of the President on matters speech writing, internal protocols as well as the monthly reports the VC was required to file to the chancellor on the status, affairs and operations of the university, among others.
In all these, I came to truly understand and appreciate how deeply the former president cared about and loved Moi University, the only university that he envisioned, designed and built from scratch during the 24 years of his rule. A university that bears his own name! Established against the backdrop of the 8-4-4 system, it was often mentioned that he intended it to be purely a university of science and applied technology. He personally coined its slogan, Moi university, ''A university with a difference''.
In 1987, when the university was just thre-years-old, he personally brought British PM Margaret Thatcher to tour the institution. It did not have any of the modern infrastructure and the paved streets it has currently, but Moi nevertheless implored upon Thatcher to go and "see his university". At this visit, Thatcher pledged to support the construction of a library and the faculty of information sciences complex, which were completed in 1994 and handed over to the university by British High Commissioner Kieran Prendergast. This made Moi University the first in Africa to offer information sciences. To date, the institution remains the only Kenyan university to ever have hosted a sitting British Premier.
Moi loved to watch the university choir perform. There was no presidential function in any part of the country where "the great" Moi University choir, as he used to call it, was never invited to perform. He developed personal friendships with the two choir directors Fred Ngala and later on Mellitus Wanyama. He later took them to Kabarak University where they are professors currently. During their shows, Moi would smile, tap his foot, nod his head and lip sync along, almost word for word with the choir.
One day, he invited the choir to his Kabarak home for a performance. On the way, our old bus broke down, occasioning a serious delay and near panic. When the choir arrived at Kabarak, he politely asked why they arrived late and was informed of the breakdown. He simply smiled and replied that he would look into it. A few weeks later, he dispatched four brand new 63-seater Volvo buses to the university, christened Mzalendo, Amani, Upendo and Umoja.
Moi had genuine interest in the university. The students used to complain that being far away from Eldoret town, they needed to have a place for recreation, shopping and relaxing. When he learnt about this, he lobbied Kenya Reinsurance Corporation to construct a modern students' centre with shops, banks, student leaders' offices, hotels, gymnasium, indoor games arena and a post office with telephone facilities. After every graduation ceremony, mostly in the month of December, he never once failed to donate bulls for the students to feast on.
Moi was also very keen about his choice for the person to lead Moi University as vice chancellor. It had been said that during her visit to the university in 1987, Thatcher, who had studied chemistry at Somerville College, Oxford, asked the then VC Douglas Odhiambo what his area of specialisation was. Prof Odhiambo said he was a chemist and Thatcher told Moi if he wanted the university to be led well, he should always appoint a chemist to head the university.
This advice seemed to have stuck with Moi, as he ensured subsequent vice chancellors were chemists. May you rest with the angels, Mr Chancellor Sir!
Dr Oluoch is a senior lecturer and Dean, School of Information, Communication and Media Studies, Rongo University
