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Be patient, Moi tells Nyachae
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 07 July 2007 06:59
In a speech thick on innuendo that did not once mention the former Finance Minister by name, the President also accused the Nyaribari-Chache MP of failing to ensure completion of the 25-year old Kisii-Chemosit road project.
In the afternoon, the President encountered some hostility when local people rejected his statement that Kanu elections had been held in Kisii and Gucha peacefully.
The President was receiving defectors outside the Kisii Kanu branch office. The absent Nyachae dominated speeches of all the other leaders although none named him.
On the presidency, President Moi said prospective candidates should learn from his example of being patient for over a decade during his tenure as Vice- President.
A good leader "is one who is patient and visionary". He told people during stops between Kericho and Kisii Town that as VP under the late President Kenyatta, he did not resign even after he was frustrated several times.
The President said: "In Kisii, I have done so much for you by giving many of your sons and daughters big jobs and I have also created two new districts to help the area develop."
In the closest direct reference to Mr. Nyachae who resigned after being moved from the Finance Ministry to Industrial Development, the President said of the Kisii-Chemosit road which has stalled: "I am always blamed yet I have never been Minister for Finance. I gave him (Nyachae) the job and what did he do?"
"During my tenure as Vice-President of Kenyatta he transferred the police department from my ministry but I did not resign and continued to work for him patiently and loyally."
At the rural home of Local Government Minister Sam Ongeri, the President ordered police and Nyanza PC Peter Raburu to arrest any politician maligning his name at public rallies or fund raising meetings.
President Moi said he had been informed that some politicians were going around maligning his name and giving people handouts not line up along the route he was taking yesterday to embarrass him.
He said he was not worried about such moves because he was confident that students supported him and would do everything possible to greet their President.
On the road between Kericho and Kisii, it was mainly school children who lined up to greet him. At the main gates of Kereri Girls and Kisii Boys, he donated Sh50,000 to each school.
At Prof. Ongeri's home, former nominated MP Stephen Michoma set the ball rolling when he said all was not well about his Kisii trip yesterday.
Said Mr. Michoma: "Mzee, I will not lie to you. I did not sleep in my house last night because I was up trying to counter propaganda about you by people who are also going around dishing out money asking people not to turn up to greet you."
The former MP also told the President that he had been detained in his house by unnamed critics of the President who he also accused of having torched a car belonging to another Kanu activist, a Mr. James Oira.
An angry Michoma said: "Mzee, these people have been threatening us by day and by night we are happy with the new Kisii Kanu branch line-up of Geoffrey Asanyo we want a by-election in Nyaribari Chache."
The ex-MP asked President Moi to discipline errant Kanu leaders who are in the party but maligning the President's name.
At that juncture, the President beckoned to the head of the Presidential Press Unit, Mr. Lee Njiru, and whispered in his ear. Immediately, the TV crew stopped filming the function.
During the Kisii trip the President was accompanied by Ministers Ongeri, Kipn'geno arap Ng'eny, Julius Sunkuli, Jackson Kalweo and Chris Obure. Others were NDP leader Raila Odinga and Assistant Ministers Joseph Kiangoi and Shadrack Manga.
The President said the purpose of his trip was to assess the impact of malaria which had killed hundreds of people in the three Kisii districts.He directed the Nyanza PC and all medical officers in the areas to carry out anti-malaria campaign to curb the epidemic.
In his address, Prof. Ongeri accused Kisii-based journalists of having been "bought" by government critics to write negative stories. He asked Kanu leaders in Kisii who were not happy to quit instead of maligning the party.
Later, the President made and extensive tour of the hospital.
