When the ruling party Kanu lost in an election for the first time in 39 years of Kenya\u2019s independence, there was confusion among members on how they would manage their new fate.Party members who had captured respective parliamentary seats across the country had thought the rigorous campaigns preceeding the 2002 General Election would usher them into government. It surprisingly hurdled them into the opposition.<\/p>\n
But it took the intervention of former President Daniel arap\u00a0Moi\u00a0to put the house in order, advising party members to stay put and exercise their roles well in the opposition.<\/p>\n
Henry Kosgey, a former long serving Cabinet minister recalled how they were thrown into confusion after Kanu\u2019s presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta lost to Mwai\u00a0Kibaki\u00a0and the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc).<\/p>\n
Kosgey, the former Tinderet MP, recalled the events that led to\u00a0Moi\u2019s\u00a0handover of power to\u00a0Kibaki\u00a0after the elections that ended Kanu\u2019s rule.Most party members thought\u00a0Moi\u00a0had a wild card prior to the elections only for him to handover power peacefully to\u00a0Kibaki\u2019s\u00a0regime in a move that gained great admiration across Africa and globally.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy then, we had become political orphans.\u00a0Moi\u00a0had strong ideals and firm decisions. He had decided and even announced that he was going to retire and remain an ordinary citizen, but a lot of people did not believe he would,\u201d said Kosgey.In handing over to\u00a0Kibaki,\u00a0Moi\u00a0left a stable country and cemented his great legacy.\u201cAfter the loss, we paid\u00a0Moi\u00a0a visit as Kanu leaders at his Kabarnet Gardens home and he encouraged us to be strong and play our roles well as an opposition.<\/p>\n
He told us to take care of the country and ensure citizens do not suffer,\u201d Kosgey told Sunday Standard.At Kabarnet, Kosgey added, Kanu MPs listened to\u00a0Moi\u00a0who advised them that they had the responsibility of serving Kenyans and keeping the country\u2019s dignity in the opposition.<\/p>\n
The former Tinderet MP Kosgey described the former Head of State as his mentor. \u201cMoi\u00a0brought me up politically. He made me a full Cabinet minister at young age. I would not have been what I am today had it not been for him,\u201d said Kosgey, describing\u00a0Moi\u00a0as \u201can icon like no other\u201d.\u00a0Moi\u00a0had tasked Kosgey and Nicholas Biwott, the late former powerful Cabinet Minister, to steer Kanu\u2019s campaigns in the Rift Valley ahead of the 2002 polls.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will miss a great man who contributed towards the general development of the nation,\u201d Kosgey said.Uasin Gishu Senator Margaret Kamar also attributes her successes in career and politics to former President\u00a0Moi.\u201cNinety per cent of what I am is because of former President\u00a0Moi.<\/p>\n
He developed us and also encouraged us to do things that are practical and helpful to the society. He has left a gap that will be difficult to fill,\u201d said Kamar.Former cabinet Minister John Cheruiyot described\u00a0Moi\u00a0as an astute leader with high sense of discipline whose love, peace and unity slogan kept Kenya stable in his 24-year rule.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When the ruling party Kanu lost in an election for the first time in 39 years of Kenya\u2019s independence, there was confusion among members on how they would manage their new fate.Party members who had captured respective parliamentary seats across the country had thought the rigorous campaigns preceeding the 2002 General Election would usher them […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":2216,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,8,12],"tags":[1261,1262,1112],"class_list":["post-2215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-homepage-english","category-policy","tag-2002-general-election","tag-henry-kosgey","tag-president-daniel-arap-moi"],"yoast_head":"\n