Born into a low-income peasant family in the Rift Valley of British colonial Kenya, Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi rose to become one of post-independence Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
His early life was marked by hardship; after his father, a herdsman named Kimoi arap Chebii, passed away when Moi was just four, he spent his youth caring for the family’s sheep and goats in Kurieng’wo village, Baringo.
Raised by his paternal uncle, Moi was enrolled in a Protestant missionary elementary school, where he adopted the Christian name Daniel.
He later attended a government school in Kapsabet, walking 100 kilometers each term from his village. In 1934, he joined the Christian Africa Inland Mission school, committing his life to the Evangelical church, and becoming a devout Christian who remained close to his faith throughout his life.
Despite his religious devotion, Moi’s political legacy is a complex and controversial one. He ascended to power in 1978, becoming Kenya’s second president, and ruled for 24 years. However, his tenure was marred by corruption, human rights violations, and authoritarian rule.
In 1982, Moi made Kenya a one-party state, crushing political dissent, overseeing political killings, and allegedly establishing torture cells modeled on Romania’s secret police under Nicolae Ceaușescu. His rule is often cited as a textbook example of dictatorship in Africa.
By the time Moi resigned in 2002, his regime was deeply unpopular, and his chosen successor lost the election in a humiliating defeat.
Watching his former political prisoners rise to power, Moi’s departure marked the end of an era in Kenya. Despite the harsh criticisms of his rule, he maintained a stoic demeanor, often portrayed as a professor and political philosopher.
When Moi died at the age of 95, his religious devotion was evident in his final moments. A message was found tucked inside his Bible—a piece of paper dated May 8, 2005, with the words, “Step by step, step by step, I will follow Jesus, Everyday all the way,” written alongside a verse from Genesis 28:17, “Gate to Heaven.” This note, discovered as he passed away, highlighted his deep connection to his faith.
By Standard