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Wednesday, October 11, 2006

News Flash

According to the Daily Nation, President Kibaki has named former President Moi the Government's special envoy for regional peace. If Moi could not bring peace to Molo and other parts of the Rift Valley when he was President, I don't hold out much hope that he will accomplish much elsewhere.

6 comments:

Half 'n' half said...

you Know I actually had to go to the nation website to make sure that this was not a joke............WTF!!!!!!lets get them all back why dont we? Am sooo not amused. My collegue actually thinks its not a big deal. I feel like slapping his face along with Kibs

Anonymous said...

The Devil's Advocate view is that a lot of people in the region - Great Lakes, Sudan and Somali included would disagree with that assertion. Former president Moi may have been many things, but he was a diplomat and hey, in retrospect, he could have chosen to go the Museveni way and held on; he exercised good judgment. If this was 2003 I would still be smarting but time cleanses and it's time we all let go. I totally support Kibaki's move.

Githush said...

Over the last four odd years Kenya has seemingly lost her preeminence in regional issue. We used to be the country that was the honest broker in matters of war and peace (Somalia, Sudan, DRC etc..)Now Nigeria, South Africa etc... are taking leading roles

Moi was big on regional peace and harmony and did initiate the Sudan and Somalia talks. I agree with Sura on this one, Moi is a high profile ambassador and honest broker.

On the domestic political front, this is an interesting development.

Gathara said...

Sura Mbaya and Githush,
First, by 2002 Moi had exhausted his term in office (some would argue he had done so five years earlier) and had to go. He does not deserve any special commendation for doing what the constitution demanded considering he had been ignoring and adulterating it for the better part of 24 years.

Secondly, for all his efforts, he never did achieve any peace in any of the conflicts he mediated. Why start now?

As for his being an honest broker...He may be guilty of many things, but honesty is not one of them.

Anonymous said...

Let's give props where props are due.

Moi could have held on to power by force. He could have armtwisted parliament to remove the upper term limit.

But HE LEFT

I for one will give him his props. He left.

Gathara said...

M,
If you think Moi accepted the constitutional limit of two terms out of the goodness of his heart, you're sorely mistaken. Blood was shed for that (and other) limitations on his absolute dictatorship.

Moi, following in the footsteps of Kenyatta (hence the term fuata nyayo), arm-twisted parliament, the courts and every other institution to get his excessive powers and the dubious "second" term.

His leaving office was not a reedeming act of self-sacrifice for the good of the nation. He left because the people of Kenya gave him no other choice.