Daniel arap Moi is not family property but a leader who served for more than 20 years as Kenya’s President, Johnson Sakaja has said.
The Nairobi Senator noted this on Friday, in response to the “humiliation” that Deputy President William Ruto suffered when he was “denied access” to Moi on Thursday.
Ruto went to Moi’s Kabarak home but they did not meet as he was with his doctors.
Sakaja directed his remarks at Moi’s son, Baringo Senator Gideon Moi.
“Namwambia Gideon ya kwamba baraka ya Mzee sio kitu inapeanwa ovyo ovyo kama mandazi … eti pea huyu na sio huyu …eti fungulia huyu wala sio yule (Gideon should know that Mzee’s blessings are not given as carelessly as mandazis … given to one person and not the other … [the house] opened to one person and not the other),” he said.
He spoke at the Railway Training Institute in South B during a drive to encourage Nairobians to sign up for NHIF, as part of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s universal healthcare plan. He was with politicians including Woman Representative Esther Passaris and Starehe MP Charles Njagua.
Ruto flew to Kabarak yesterday but waited at Moi’s home for three hours and did not see him. The DP Energy CS Charles Keter, Ainabkoi MP William Chepkut and lawyer Stephen Kipkenda had lunch there.
It is not clear if Ruto had an appointment but sources close to the Moi family say there was none.
Sakaja said it was unnecessary for Moi’s son to push his rivalry with the DP to the extent of embarrassing him.
“Sisi tumesikia uchungu sana kwa sababu ya ile aibu DP wetu alifanyiwa (We were very hurt by the embarrassment Ruto suffered). Gideon [should know] that the stone he has despised and rejected will be uplifted by God and be the cornerstone.”
The Senator asked Ruto not to despair and to seek the blessings of wananchi.
“You went there with a clean heart and humility, to tell Mzee pole (sorry), but they denied you access. Do not worry yourself about that. Rather come here to the people who will freely give you their blessings.”
Sakaja’s sentiments came hours after Moi’s granddaughter Laila Ibrahim hit at Ruto, saying “you don’t just show up at someone’s house unannounced”.
“There was a protocol fail on the DP’s side. You cannot just show up without prior arrangements … forgetting that Moi is still a well-respected statesman,” she wrote on her Facebook page on Friday.
