Relentless peace efforts that nearly earned Mzee the coveted Nobel prize

A millitary convoy with a gun carriage carries the body of former President Daniel Moi when it left Lee Funeral Home for Parliament Buildings yesterday. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

Rarely will one hear an African President ask for forgiveness for anything out of their own volition.

But just before he left office, former President Daniel Moi surprised many when he publicly asked for forgiveness from those he had wronged in his 24 years in power.

“If I may have said something that hurt you, please forgive me. And if you wronged me, I have forgiven you,” Moi said. This is highly unheard of in Africa where powerful presidents are unrepentant and stubborn.

Through his Nyayo philosophy of peace love and unity, Kenya has historically managed to stay largely put together, gaining a reputation for being a peaceful island in a sea of countries that were internally at war. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, on a visit to Kenya in 1988, described it as “a country impressively run politically”.

Ms Thatcher said the stability was because of great wisdom.

Popular leader

This was not just because Moi was President and needed a peaceful country to govern. His peace-making efforts were well known before and after he became president.

For instance, in 1961, while Moi and his peers were fleshing out the Constitution after the Lancaster House conference, there was tension between tribes ready to go to war, each determined to secure a chunk of the upcoming Independence cake.

Close to 20 years before he would ever be President, between 1961 and 1962, Moi personally intervened in his home area more than once to avert chaos when certain factions organised to subdue other tribes over perceived slights.

The book, Moi: The Making of an African Statesman, by Andrew Morton details one of these occasions where Moi intervened: “…in November 1962, the Tugen and Njemps prepared to fight each other after the latter had ejected Tugen grazers and their cattle, which had encroached illegally on Njemps land. Moi called a baraza and spoke to the warring parties, beseeching them to work together for the common good. As the District Commissioner reported: ‘Had it not been for the fortuitous presence of Moi, bloodshed might as well have resulted.”

As President, he oversaw the drastic reduction of conflict over cattle rustling on the Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Turkana boundaries.

Moi brokered peace deals with the neighbours. When factions in the neighbouring countries were at loggerheads with each other, he endeavoured to restore peace in those countries.

Unstable countries

“We were surrounded by unstable countries and he went out of his way to try and make peace in these regions because if there was instability in the neighbourhood, then he would have problems in his own country. He wanted to minimise that,” says Prof Macharia Munene of the United States International University-Africa.

His devotion to securing peace along the country’s volatile borders with its neighbouring countries earned him a significant international reputation while enhancing Kenya’s economic prospects.

Morton writes that there were talks about the possible nomination of Moi for a Nobel Peace Prize, thanks to his efforts. He echoes Prof Munene’s sentiments that Moi’s efforts on behalf of neighbouring countries helped Kenya’s cause: “Open and peaceful borders equaled trade and greater prosperity for the region, especially as Uganda and Tanzania were Kenya’s major export markets.”

West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo said Moi continued to oversee government efforts regarding this even after his presidency.