Daniel T arap Moi, Second President of the Republic of Kenya

Today the body of a great man was laid to rest. But do you expect me to eulogize a man who has lived to be 100? Where would you start? By nature’s own account he stands tall among men, if only for the privilege of years. Which quarter of the century would you talk about? the first quarter or the last? Would you talk about his youth, his family, his heart, his failures, his work, his friends or his country? No, this I cannot do. At best I can only read from his open book. Still, it would not be possible to get the whole picture, save snapshots of history, that mark the life of such a man. Unless of course, he told his own story. But here I must check myself and read leadership from his legacy. With a testimonial of more than one-half century, he has to be a case study in classes around the world, but even then, there are many secrets he has taken with him.

From the moment he put his foot on the pedal to get an education and a spiritual foundation, he did not let up until he handed over the country to a new president. If you want to be a leader, school, and the spirit is a good place to start. As head of state he never missed a day of worship. Like the character of David of old, he had his flaws and every leader has his enemies, real or imagined. But like David he was sharply focused on his mandate to rule. For leadership, he believed, comes from God.

He had a personal philosophy of peace, love and unity. Many leaders today could do with a simple vision to bring people together. As a person, he awoke long before dawn and was in office by sunrise. It is not enough to say he gave his life to a cause; it is better to say he lived a calling. But he was not just a leader of men, he worked hard for women and children and did everything a father would do to ensure the welfare of his family.

He traveled the country and communicated constantly. There is no corner of this country he did not traverse in search of people, projects and maendeleo (development). Like a Shepard he sought the lost and brought the marginalized into the fold. Many a leader today can learn a lesson or two about inclusivity and the power of diversity. In his passion he took charge of building gabions and planting trees long before global warming sounded its warning. Many of us today could do with a far-sighted vision. In expanding education, he laid a firm foundation of human capital on which the nation depends today. How many of us take time to invest in others?

Leadership and politics go hand in hand, but politics is no man’s party. In politics, he fought his battles with gusto. I find that great leaders fight hard to keep the peace rather than go to war, but win the battle of political score. A leader must be judged in the context of his time and not with the cleverness of hindsight. Back then, many nations struggled around us to keep afloat and governments collapsed in disarray. From unlikely beginnings as vice president he led the nation from the front over 24 years surviving the intricacies of political alignments, strangling economic times and even seasons of drought.

As leaders we can learn about the staying power of grit and grace as we read about the man for whose sheer energy many could not keep pace. So, what else do I take away from the spirit of this great son of Africa whose book I continue to read? …It is that leadership is for a reason and for a season, that to every man is given a grace he can bear, that to every man is given a gift to share, and that to every man is given a duty to care. It is that to every man is given a time and place to exercise his calling.  And when all is said and done, and the sun has set on his time, a man must forgive those who wronged him and ask for forgiveness from others to gain entrance to heaven. His body may be gone, but his spirit lives on. Farewell Mr President, fare thee well Daniel Toroitich arap Moi!