WHY MOI MADE ME SPEAKER
FROM THE MEMOIRS OF FRANCIS KAPARO’S BOOK, CALMING THE STORMS.
However, it was the late Hon John Moika Kasaine Lelampaa, a member for Samburu East who captured the mood of the moment. He edged to where i stood alone and said, ” I think you were misquoted.
‘ I cant misquote myself!’ I curtly replied.
upon resumption of the session several hours later, Moi came back with a written speech. In it, he sort to address both his fellow Kenyans and the International community. He agreed with delegates that multiparty politics was a danger to cohesion, but was inclined to allow the repeal of section 2A of the nation’s constitution and a reversal to plurality-in the interest of Kenya.
At that moment, you could here the drop of a feather. The moment he finished speaking, those who had urged him to clamp down on dissension clapped and tripped themselves to congratulate him. I don’t know what he thought of this circus of foolishness, but i couldn’t help but wonder about the clowning. How could men and women who had barely a day earlier urged one position switch so casually to another and do it shamelessly?
It was embarrasing
‘If you knew what the Head of State had in mind, why didn’t you tell us?’ Mark Too asked , displeased. These were dishonorable men and women who had caused Kenya to degenerate into a land of spineless minions who could neither think for themselves nor stand to be counted among the intellectual warriors of our time. President Moi saw through the shallowness of the delegates and chose to ignore them
The President never called to talk or congratulate me for the bravery i displayed in Kasarani, but i knew he greatly appreciated my role, because three days later after that event, he appointed me as the Minister for Industry. And as usual, i heard of that appointment over the radio as i was driving to Nairobi on a Sunday, having spent the weekend with my constituents in Laikipia. Over thirty years later, i look back at that conference and regard it as the defining moment of my career