How scholarship kept Lekuton and Lotodo in school

Joseph Lekuton, a former Laisamis MP, in Marsabit County. He is among those who were sponsored by President Moi. [Mercy Kahenda, Standard]

Former President Daniel Moi has been eulogised as a man who brought a positive impact in the lives of many.

Moi, who died on Tuesday, will be remembered as a charismatic leader who supported hundreds of children from needy families to access quality education.

Joseph Lotodo, who served in the Kanu government as an assistant minister, says he has Moi to thank for his success in life.

Mr Lotodo recalls meeting with Moi in the 1980s after a cattle rustling incident at Tiaty Constituency.

“After the raid, hundreds of head of cattle were stolen, leaving locals with nothing,” recalls Lotodo, a former Assistant Minister for East African Cooperation. His parents were among villagers who lost livestock to the bandits.

Lotodo had just sat his O Level examinations and was to join Kabarak High School for Form Five and Form Six. But his parents could not raise the school fees, as they had lost all their livestock to cattle rustlers.

It was at this time that Lotodo received news that the area chief, District Officer and District Commissioner (DC) were looking for him. It scared him because it sounded like he had committed a crime.

Moi had ordered that Lotodo be traced, as he was the only student who had not reported to the school.

“I was informed that Mzee Moi had looked at the list of the students called to join Kabarak and realised that I had not reported,” said Lotodo, who was then taken to meet Moi by the DC.

"Moi had wanted to know why I had not reported to the school. I informed him that cattle rustlers had raided our home and taken away all the livestock, so I could not raise my fees, as we relied solely on the animals,” he said.

Moi then asked Lotodo to go to class and forget about the stolen cows. From then the Sh540 termly school fees was paid until he completed his education at the institution.

Future leaders

Lotodo later joined Egerton University, where he graduated with a Degree in Agricultural Engineering.

Moi, he said, used to dine with them at his Kabarak home and would always tell them he was moulding them to be future leaders.

At just 28 years, Lotodo was vying to become an MP. He recalls that some elders tried to block his bid and had even informed Moi that a young man had shown interest in the seat.

He was summoned by Moi, but he did not show up. The two later met in October 1992 at Kabarnet.

“Mzee burst into laughter when he realised I was the one and encouraged me to go on with the campaigns,” he said. Lotodo later served as Tiaty MP between 1992 and 2002.

Another beneficiary of Moi’s benevolence is Joseph Lekuton, a former MP of Laisamis, Marsabit County.

“I received news of the death of President Moi with sadness. He was a source of hope and inspiration to many Kenyans, irrespective of their tribes. Personally, he had been my guiding light throughout my education,” Mr Lekuton told The Standard yesterday.

Moi offered Lekuton full scholarship at Moi High School Kabarak at a time a prolonged drought had swept their entire livestock and his family left with no means to raise school fees.

“Challenges back at home affected my family. I could not even afford personal effects, but I wore a bright face,” he said.

Lekuton first met Moi during a football tournament at Moi High School Kabarak. Moi was impressed by Lekuton's performance as a striker.

After the competition, the then Education minister Joseph Kamotho shared with Moi the challenges Lekuton’s family faced. Moi committed to pay his school fees.

“I honour President Moi for the role he played in my life. I am who I am because of him,” recalls Lekuton, who was later offered employment by Moi at Kenya Commercial Bank.

The former MP said Moi also initiated various development projects such as water for domestic use and farming in his remote village in Marsabit. “The former president was also instrumental in my joining politics in Kenya,” he said.

[Report by Julius Chepkwony, Mercy Kahenda and Ben Ahenda]