Gideon Kipsiele Moi is the Senator for Baringo County and the Chairman of the independence Party – Kanu. He is the last born child of Kenya's second President Daniel arap Moi.
His family has also picked him as the successor to their late father’s political heritage. In the Senate, he is currently serving his second term and also chairs the Senate’s powerful committee on energy.
Gideon was born on 22 October, 1963 as the last born child of Daniel arap Moi and his wife Lena Moi. Six years after his birth, his father became Kenya’s Vice President – a position that took a toll on the elder Moi’s marriage.
In 1974, Gideon’s parents separated and while his elderly siblings continued to live with their mother – Moi’s last born stayed on under his father’s care, creating a special bond between them.
The Baringo Senator is a child of privilege and had the best education at St Mary’s Secondary School. His schoolmates, many of them his lifetime friends, are some of the country’s shakers and movers across various fields and include President Uhuru Kenyatta, businessman Jimi Wanjigi, journalist Jeff Koinange, and Foreign Affairs CS Raychelle Omamo.
After a stint in politics, Gideon ventured into politics – taking his father’s parliamentary seat in the 2002 general election.
He lost the Baringo Central MP’s seat in 2007 before being elected Baringo Senator – a position he currently holds. He is also one of the perceived front-runners in the 2022 presidential election.
The Kanu Chairman has made major milestones, albeit quietly, as he seeks to replace President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022.
He led Kanu into a coalition agreement with Jubilee – the ruling party. In May, the coalition deal helped President Kenyatta remove some of Deputy President William Ruto’s allies who had leadership roles in the Senate.
In reciprocation, Uhuru picked West Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio to replace Kipchumba Murkomen as Majority Leader.
Poghisio was elected on a Kanu ticket and is a close ally of Gideon. The Baringo Senator has also influenced several of his allies to take up parastatal jobs such as Nick Salat who was recently appointed to become Chairperson of the Board of the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC).