President Daniel arap Moi had eight children, among them a set of twins.
One of his children grew up to be a military officer, another thrilled Kenyans with his rallying skills, while yet another dominated headlines over a dramatic divorce and maintenance case.
The family has also produced politicians but not as charismatic and larger than life as their father.
Moi married his wife Lena Moi, daughter of prominent Eldama Ravine farmer and pioneer Christians Paul Bomet in 1950.
Together they were blessed with eight children – five sons and three daughters.
Lena, a trained teacher, later took up the role of a full-time housewife to raise the children as Moi’s political career took root.
The most well-known Moi family member is his last born, Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, born in 1964.
Gideon is Moi’s favourite and heir apparent and has taken up the role of the family spokesperson.
Moi’s firstborn is Jenniffer Chemutai Kositany born in 1953. An alumna of Kenya High School who later pursued university education in the United States, she maintains a private life.
Jennifer is widowed. Her husband Stephen Kositany, who hailed from the politically-famous Kositany family in Nandi county, died in a road accident.
The late Stephen is brother to current Soy MP Caleb Kositany.
Rally driver and enthusiast, Jonathan Toroitich is Moi’s second child and firstborn son. Jonathan, who was much closer to his mother passed on in April 2019 after a long battle with cancer.
John Mark, the thirdborn, is the least known of Moi’s sons. Born in 1958 he lived briefly in the United States but came back home without completing his studies. He was a genius after scoring a straight As and got admitted to an Ivy League university in USA.
Current Rongai MP, Raymond Moi born in 1960 is the family’s third born after which Moi had twins Philip and Doris born in 1962.
Philip is a retired army major and among the pioneer indigenous Kenyans to take up polo as a sport.
He has had a rough time in the corridors of justice with his divorce and a Sh90 million maintenance case against his estranged wife Rosana Pluda.
Doris, on the other hand, has kept away from the limelight. She sits on the board of some of the schools associated with the former president.
She is an alumna of Nairobi Primary, Limuru Girls and the British-curriculum Imani School in Thika and had a brief stay in Australia.
A widow, Doris was married to Jonathan’s rally navigator and son of veteran Nandi politician Simon Choge. Ibrahim died in a road crash.
June, the youngest, is Moi’s adopted daughter. Like Gideon, she was also the former president’s favourite.
She attended Nairobi Primary, Kenya High School and then moved on to university in Canada.
She is a successful businesswoman.
The president and Lena separated in 1974 and finally quietly divorced in 1979.
The former president never remarried.
The wife retreated to a quiet life at her Rongai farm where she passed on in July 2004.
Despite leaving separately for 30 years, she was buried at Moi’s expansive farm in Kabarak. She was the first lady Kenya never had.
Moi’s father, Kimoi arap Chebii, died in 1928 when the former president was only four and little is known about his mother, Kabon.
Anonymous says
The sad truth of the dead guy is that he had no time for his relatives just as you can see in his children.
His relatives don’t even know how to mourn him, cos, he never had time for them all his life time.
None of his children even know their immidiate relatives for real. That tells you what type of a person he and his children and children are.
They will note have any votes come 2020, cos they too have no intention of them viewing his body.
The late and his family will be buried with his life cartel whom eat with him as they got riches with his connection.
What a sad reality.
ปั้มไลค์ says
Like!! Great article post.Really thank you! Really Cool.
Anonymous says
look at all those who surrounded the dead man.
They all distanced the old man from his relative until his death – they still practise the same against the relatives of the old man, in preventing his from meeting his. You can see them flocking to the mzee funeral arrangement and giving records of how good the old fallen man was, but they are the real devils themselves – most of these good for nothing parasites are rich and sadist with no soul within their living bodies.
One thing for sure is that his relative don’t even how to mourn him, cos he was never there for them all his life. And this is the same with his children – flowing on the shadow of the old man – they’ve nothing to show against their names.
the man live large and left everything behind – he will be history – we go see his lifeless body copse to confirm he’s indeed dead and thanking to mourn about.