I celebrate President Moi as statesman, giant of history
Uhuru Kenyatta
On Tuesday, February 4, 2020, while on transit abroad, it became my sad duty to announce to the Nation, the passing on of the second President of the Republic of Kenya Daniel Toroitich arap Moi.
Upon receiving the news, I, like millions of Kenyans, was engulfed with a sense of sadness and loss.
With a heavy heart, I closed my eyes and said a prayer of thanks to our Almighty God, for the life of President Moi.
A prayer for peace and comfort for his family, friends, our nation and our continent; for he was truly a legendary son of Kenya and Africa.
On behalf of a Nation in grief, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to the visiting Heads of State and Government, Former Heads of State and Government, Heads of delegations and other distinguished guests, who have joined us today for the National Memorial Service; and also to the many, many more people who sent their messages of condolences.
The democratic narrative of our long march to nationhood must be told and retold for generations to come.
For today, we stand tall on the strong shoulders of our forefathers. Moi’s place among those who dreamt of the modern Kenya is unshakeable.
Yes, even as we celebrate his life, the story must be told. I choose not to mourn the passing on of an icon, but rather to celebrate a Statesman and a giant of history.
President Moi’s life, a full life—chronicled as 96 years, made him one of the few Kenyans, whose life journey closely mirrors all the stages of our beloved nation.
Colonial injustice
We celebrate the remarkable journey of faith and hope that began in a sleepy village in Kabartonjo.
The story must be told of a ragged and barefooted orphan boy knocking on the door of white missionaries in search of help and enlightenment, at a time when illiteracy had a firm grip on our people and education was considered “foreign” and “unwelcome”.
The young Daniel Moi, now educated and with a wealth of opportunities available to him, true to the spirit of public service and commitment to helping others achieve their full potential; became a teacher.
Naturally, the future president excelled in that role, rising to the rank of headmaster in short order; whilst also embedding his life-long passion for education.
However, even as he scaled in his career, Moi understood the injustice of the colonial era; and he decided to heed the call of the local community and put himself forward to serve as their representative in the Legislative Council (LegCo).
There, and, together with other founding fathers of our nation, he helped Kenya seize a hard-fought independence from a colonial power, giving birth to the modern independent nation that we live in today.
The story must be told of an astute politician, known for a seemingly prophetic ability to predict future political trends, many including Jaramogi Oginga Odinga likened his foresight to a “giraffe”. 
Moi served in various capacities in independent Kenya. He had the rare honour to serve his motherland as an MP, a Cabinet minister, the Vice-President and President.
1978 transition
From his early life, Moi understood the value of Kenya being bigger than any single person.
When the nation called for bridging divides and putting the country above self, he led his party out of opposition and into government, thereby ensuring that our nascent republic was devoid of partisanship and political bickering.
When called to serve, throughout the 1960s and 70s, Moi served humbly and diligently, helping shape a modern and vibrant nation.
Following the death of the First President of the Republic of Kenya Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Moi stepped into apex leadership in 1978; and immediately brought calm and confidence to a nation reeling in shock.
The story must be told of the man, who on assuming the apex office adopted a governance style and mantra that perfectly resonated with the needs and aspirations of citizens.
When Kenyans spoke in 2002, he chose to abide by their wishes and led his party into the opposition.
He consistently reminded us that opposition was not an enemy to the nation but rather an alternative government in waiting; and must be loyal to the country, always promoting ideas and strategies to enhance peace, love and unity of our people.
The love for his country and his commitment to uniting Kenyans informed his “Nyayo philosophy of ‘Peace, Love and Unity’”, which became the rallying call for our Nation; expressing our desire to be a cohesive Nation of diverse communities, brought together by our shared values and aspirations. 
The Nyayo philosophy was inspired by the recognition that, the quest to transform the lives of our people is a journey that cannot be undertaken by a single generation or administration.
Nation building is a continuous endeavour undertaken brick-by-brick, generation-by-generation and administration-by-administration.
Under Moi, great strides were made with regard to education, women empowerment and transformation of the Civil Service as well as the deepening of our unity, prosperity and place of esteem in the community of nations.
We celebrate Moi for the transformation in the education sector through the 8-4-4 System, which we have recently re-energised under the Competency-Based Curriculum; we remember him for the Nyayo school milk programme, the establishment of countless girls schools at a time when the prevailing culture was against education of the girl-child; the active promotion of the place of women in leadership in politics, business and the civil service, amongst many other progressive initiatives.
Many of us often wonder, what is in a colour? When President Moi was called upon to choose a Presidential Standard, he settled for green.
This singular act inspired his conquest in conservation. His environmental credentials are indeed second to none.
The iconic memories of President Moi, building gabions; driving an aggressive re-afforestation by spearheading tree planting campaigns, signaling our nation’s steadfast and unshakable anti-poaching stance by burning ivory worth millions of dollars, these memories imprinted in our hearts will live with us forever.
On some of the darkest days in our history, President Moi’s strength calmed the nation.
There was perhaps no greater evidence of this than on the August 8, 1998; when President Moi stood on the still smoldering ruins of the US embassy, re-assuring the nation that we were safe and that the perpetrators of that heinous act would be brought to justice. 
On that day, he did the unprecedented and drove to the scene of the attack, in the company of the then luminaries of the opposition parties and they stood together for Kenya.
President Moi’s vision for Kenya inspires us to continue to work tirelessly to harness that which elevates all of us as a people to greater heights of unity, prosperity and democracy.
East Africa Community
Indeed, the Nyayo philosophy of Peace, Love and Unity not only inspires us but finds wings in the process of validation and eventually in the implementation of our Building Bridges Initiative.
We are also building on his monumental achievements across the full spectrum of our social, political, economic and cultural spectrum; ensuring that Moi will gaze down on us, from his place of deserved rest in Heaven, with affirmation and pride.
The unity that President Moi pursued transcended boundaries—it was not only unity between brothers and sisters within our borders, but also unity of the brothers and sisters that form our East African Community and the greater continent of Africa.
President Moi, recognised that the path to prosperity for African states lay in promoting Intra-African trade, integration and building bridges between our communities and Nations that recognise that we have far more in common than we do have as differences.
It is this underlying philosophy that inspired Moi to team up with then Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa to spearhead the revival of the East African Community.
We owe it to Moi’s generation of visionary African leaders, who dared to dream and envisioned the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement that creates the largest free trade, which we now have succeeded in concluding and which will take effect on 1st July, 2020.
As an avid peace-maker, statesman, Pan-Africanist and champion for a more united and just world, Moi spearheaded a number of initiatives that brought lasting peace within our region and beyond.
The people of Uganda, the Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, can all testify to the peace and diplomacy initiatives brought under the stewardship of Mzee Moi; which have made those nations more peaceful, inclusive and democratic.
Power handover
Further afield, it was under his administration that Kenya began our long tradition of serving under United Nations and other peace-keeping missions.
Moi saw our Defence Forces not merely as an organ for defending Kenya, but also as a powerful force for good that could contribute to protecting the most vulnerable of humanity from the ravages of civil war and strife.
Moi brought safety and security to many in areas of conflict, which are now prosperous s, due in part to the participation of Kenya in bringing light in their darkest times.
At home, Moi guided our Nation’s journey into the political maturity we enjoy today. 
It was under his wing that we transitioned back to multi-party democracy; a mode of governance that Moi in 1991, warned that it could be extremely divisive if not properly managed and customised to the unique demands of our culture, history and aspirations.
When the time came to leave the national stage, Moi did what was then the unthinkable; he voluntarily handed-over the reins of power.
In doing so, not only did the second president set a first that continues to be the benchmark to this very day, he also elevated his stature to that of a great patriot and statesman
Kenya was and is undoubtedly better for having had Daniel Toroitich arap Moi as her son, her servant, her leader and her role model. We should all learn from his inspiring journey and the chronicles of his life.
Mzee Moi will be laid to rest but he will continue to live on, in each and every one of us.
As we pay our last respects and prepare to lay Mzee Moi to a well deserved rest, we hold in our thoughts and prayers, his family, friends and loved ones.
In this solemn moment, let us all take comfort in the fact that Daniel Toroitich arap Moi leaves behind a towering legacy of good that will transcend the generations.
We are comforted by the memory held so dear by this gallant son of Kenya. We find comfort that Peace is one of the very foundations of family, community and nationhood here in Kenya. And today let that peace that surpasses all understanding, attend our way. —Abridged version of President Uhuru Kenyatta speech at the memorial service for former President Moi
