4 US Presidents That Entertained Moi in Washington

Barely four months into President Richard Nixon's term, Kenya's first President, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, sent his then Vice President Daniel Moi to the White House, Washington DC. 

It was reported that he had gone to make arrangements of how the US would help Kenya thwart attacks, from perceived threats of invasion from Somalia and Uganda, as well as influence from the Soviet Union. 

President Nixon was the 37th President of the US, serving from 1969 to 1974, and became the first US Head of State to resign, after a scandal was unearthed implicating him for spying on his opponents.

Moi, was back again in the US 1981, now as a president, following an invitation by his US counterpart President Ronald Reagan

During the meeting, Moi explained what his nickname, Nyayo, meant before the latter wished President Moi a safe journey to Australia, where he was to pay a State visit.

“After our meeting this morning, I now fully understand the meaning of Nyayo, the watchword of your administration… the path on which you have embarked on demands courage and perseverance. I want you to know that you have our respect,” the US president commented. 

President Moi would later fly to meet Reagan again in 1987. By this time the US had learned much about Moi's regime, through their intelligence machinery as well as media reports. 

Unfortunately, the meeting was cut short by a media exposé done back in Nairobi.

US-based Washington Post's Africa Correspondent, Blaine Harden, had written a story that did not settle well with State House, Nairobi.

The story was about how Moi had turned Kenya into a police state and listed torture as an item in the country’s menu.

Blaine exposed the sadistic treatment of alleged members of a movement called Mwakenya.

Authorities in Washington canceled his scheduled appointments and demanded the Kenyan government to come clean on the story.

An appointment with UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar in New York was also canceled.

With nothing else to do, Moi was left with no choice and was forced to board a flight back home.

According to reports by Nation, on his way back, he was in such a foul mood that none of the senior officials who had accompanied him went near him for fear that he would strike them with his ivory trademark 'rungu'. 

In 2000, Moi was hosted by President Bill Clinton at Washington National Convention Centre, Washington but not much was reported about the meeting. 

The last official trip to the US by President Moi, was in December 2002, when he met President George W. Bush at the White House. 

The main topic of discussion was the deplorable security situation in the Horn of Africa. 

Bush used the opportunity to personally deliver his condolences to the President for the loss of lives that was occasioned by the August 8, 1998 bomb blast attack at the then US Embassy, Nairobi.

 

 

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