During former President Moi’s regime, a normal would only be synonymous with political gatherings and prime news around the presidency. In the event, the former head of state missed in the news and could not be seen at any gathering with school children singing and dance songs about him, everything would be out of the norm.
The political class and the diplomatic world was once treated to a scare after Moi remained unseen and could not be heard in the last week of January 1995.
At this time, Kiraitu Murungi (now Meru Governor), Anyang Nyong’o (Kisumu),
Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni), Mukhisa Kituyi and Paul Muite were on the verge of registering an outfit opposed to the Moi rule.
The then Young Turks under a new umbrella, Mwangaza Trust were seeking to register to take on Moi. The outfit was so keen on uniting the opposition, a ,move Moi realised would give him a lot of trouble.
A number of NGOs with the US and Germany backing were already angling to work with Mwangaza Trust. It is at this time that Moi chose to take a low profile. There were rumours that the head of state was ill and leaders demanded a state address on Moi’s whereabouts.
The silence and fearmongering were a tool that the state opted to use to handle pressure from the international community and a highly agitated opposition that had attempted to take over power in 1992.
The one week devoid of the powerful Moi in the media and in public, ended with a dramatic appearance in the city. The smiling Moi showed up at Harambee House saying; “Do I look a sick man? Do I look like one who has come back from the dead?”
With the anxiety that had gripped the country, the appearance drew crowds. A simplified but perfect way for Moi to prove that he was firmly in charge.
Two days after Moi's dramatic resurfacing, State House was at it again. It was all targetting to weaken any attempts to form a formidable opposition against the then government.
State House released a statement claiming that a guerrilla movement was secretly training in Uganda with a plan to destabilise Kenya and eventually overthrow the Moi government. The state accused “Brigadier” John Odongo , alias Stephen Ochieng Omoke, alias
Hussein Kashmir, alias Augustin Simba of heading the resistance outfit.
The communication indicated that one Brig-Odongo was working in cahoots with politicians, particularly Paul Muite, the head of the Anglican Church Bishop David Gitari , and a senior journalist to weaken Moi's government.
But both the Mwangaza Trust and the resistance front were contained in style. A number of NGOs and foreign entities in fear of reprisals from government chose work 'well'.
Via the daily nation.
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