We can still squeeze some milk out of Moi

There are many things to say about the late retired President Daniel arap Moi. When things became too complicated, what kept him standing was his exceptional, so-called ‘giraffesque’ foresight: The ability to see beyond even his ardent political challengers.

We can still squeeze some positive juice out of the man who ruled Kenya with an iron fist for 24 years.

First, he oversaw the modernisation of the economy; the freeing up of the financial market, mostly the liberalisation of foreign exchange and the banking sector. To him, the informal sector was like an obsession. The Jua Kali idea came to fruition largely through his personal effort.

Secondly, he championed the expansion of the education space. The massive expansion of university education opened opportunities for many Kenyans to pursue further studies. During his Nyayo era, Kenya saw universities multiply from one (The University of Nairobi) to 23 by the time he left power. On the flipside, the expansionism also killed many middle-level colleges, but the country still needed more graduates to transform it economically and socially.

But Moi’s passion for higher education could not have borne fruit had he not also embarked the expansion of basic (secondary and primary) education. He would pass by a school and, after briefly addressing the students, declare it fit for the coveted Advanced Level class. ‘A’ level (Form Five and Six) was replaced by the much discredited 8-4-4 system.

It is a mote point whether that diluted education but Moi’s education policy demystified the academic degree. Enrolment in universities jumped from 20 per cent in the 1970s to over 40 per cent by the time Moi left office.

But it also acted as a social fuse. With the galloping population growth, the youth bulge would have snowballed into a terrifying flare-up. Now Kenya boasts some of the best-trained workforce in Africa.

Moi was late in accepting ICT; but then, nobody was prepared for this technological tsunami. Many leaders, even in the West, were sceptical of the computer. Still, the expansion of education structures paved the way for the crucial role of ICT in the economy, making the country a regional innovation and technological hub.

Thirdly, the man should be credited for keeping the country largely intact for 24 years. True, he used threats, skulduggery and bribery of rivals; but still, you could open a shop or buy land anywhere in Kenya without the fear of losing your investment at election time.

We cannot be naive. There was always the simmering carry-over tension from precolonial times. But the ‘professor of politics’ had a way of playing with the factors, until he felt threatened by the campaign to open up political space.

DN oped body: It cannot be easy to unite 42 ‘tribal nations’ with disparate expectations. First President Jomo Kenyatta, knew how to forge that by playing around the tribal leaders. And Moi was a good student of Mzee Jomo’s. That’s why, after Jomo’s death, Kenya remained a tranquil island in a volatile Great Lakes and Horn of Africa regions.

Moi was no democrat and made no bones about it. Yet he peacefully relinquished power.

From hindsight, Moi seems to have been a good-hearted man who was overwhelmed by the complex nature of statehood.