Day Kibaki, serving as VP, ate from a sufuria at Moi event
Former Presidents Mwai Kibaki (left) and Daniel arap Moi.
The late President Mwai Kibaki was once forced to eat directly from a sufuria when he arrived late for a presidential function, a former aide of President Daniel arap Moi has revealed.
The incident happened in 1985 when Kibaki, the vice-president at the time, arrived late for a public rally and found the President’s aides having lunch, said Moi's long-serving press secretary Lee Njiru.
"We were in Wote in Makueni and he came late and found us having a meal from a sufuria with an aide-de-camp to Mzee Moi, Major Wilson Boinett (he later became brigadier and director of intelligence services). We were short of plates," he recalled.
"Kibaki didn't want to be seen by Mzee Moi. He joined us in a room, washed his hands and started eating meat from the sufuria."
Mr Njiru went on: "He told me, ‘Njiru, let me show you how it is done’. We ate together from the same sufuria, three of us – Kibaki, Boinett and myself. When he finished, he washed his hands and asked me, 'Lee Njiru, how is the news?’ Up to this minute, when I meet Brigadier Boinett, that is our salutation. I greet him, 'Boinett, how is news?’"
President Daniel arap Moi's long-serving press secretary, Lee Njiru shows a photo gallery of top dignitaries he had taken a photo with including former presidents Jomo Kenyatta, Moi and Uhuru Kenyatta.
Mr Njiru also recalled an incident in Embu when Kibaki was campaigning in 2002 and he was in a hotel.
“I was passing by and I didn't want to join them because I didn't want to be seen with him. After all, he was in opposition," he said.
I don't understand
"When he saw me, he told the politicians around him, 'You Embu people are interesting people, you gave birth to Lee Njiru, who understands Moi. I don't understand what Moi says but when I read the papers in the morning that's when I understand what he was saying the previous day. Your son is the only person who understands Moi the best’. He was a humorous person."
The late President Mwai Kibaki.
Mr Njiru said that Kibaki was his own man and was not easily swayed by tribal groupings.
"In 1968, when Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was sick and was in a coma, the Kikuyu community leaders close to Mzee Kenyatta started forming groups to fight Moi and lay the ground for the Kenyatta succession. Kibaki didn't join any grouping. He remained independent. He followed his own conscience," he said.
One of the greatest leadership qualities of Kibaki, he said, was that even when he disagreed with someone he did not insult him.
Also read: A strangely anti-politics president
"He approached issues with humour and like a gentleman. The late Cabinet minister Elijah Mwangale went to campaign against him in his home turf of Nyeri, but the late Mzee Kibaki did not attack Mwangale with venom like what many politicians would do today. He just referred to Mwangale as a political tourist. He did not use vulgar language," he said.
“He expressed his displeasure with a tinge of humour.”
He also recalled that when Kibaki was involved in a road accident and was taken to London for specialised treatment, and Moi was on a tour of the US, the President made a stopover in London and went to visit Kibaki in hospital.
"I thought Kibaki would be angry with Mzee Moi but he was jovial. Mzee Moi pulled a chair and they talked about the Moi succession like gentlemen. When Kibaki was sworn in as President, he didn't show any animosity towards Mzee Moi and that is why he refused to jail Mzee Moi," Mr Njiru revealed.
