Clever politics, or was Retired President Daniel Arap Moi Gor Mahia damu?

President Daniel Moi celebrates after Harambee Stars scored against Mozambique at Nyayo Stadium in 1991

 

• There was a directive that all clubs with tribal sounding names should change them immediately and Moi personally announced that the name ‘Gor Mahia’ was not tribal
• Former powerful Internal Security PS Hezekiah Oyugi severally bailed out the club with funds often with a contribution from Moi

Retired President Daniel Arap Moi, a footballer in his youth, was a mad fan of Kenyan soccer.

But also, being a self-styled professor of politics, he often surprised soccer fans by arriving at the various stadia in style whenever big matches were played. He knew how to spice up his entry to fire up fans by asking the organisers to swing all the gates open and allow free entry.