Day Moi Called for Mob Justice Against Wangari Maathai (VIDEO)

Former President Daniel Moi. PHOTO: Courtesy

Retired Kenya’s second Vice President Daniel arap Moi is regarded as one of Kenya’s doyens of strongman governance.

However, the late Nobel Laureate winner Wangari Maathai was a thorn in his flesh over President Moi’s “excesses” when it came it environmental conservation.

In the year 1969, then-President Jomo Kenyatta  opened Uhuru Park to the public and the park was reminiscent of the struggles the country had undergone to attain “Uhuru.”

In the 90’s at the height of Moi’s authoritarian rule, the President decided to annex part of Uhuru Park for the construction of a building that was to be the tallest in Africa.

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The late environmental activist Prof Wangari Maathai. PHOTO: Courtesy

It would cost a whopping Sh4 billion which translates to Sh108 billion in recent times and would have a swanky car park capable of housing at least 2000 cars.

Maathai would openly oppose the project saying this was an attempt to eat up a park that the country’s freedom fighters had held so dearly.

Moi would humiliate Wangari Maathai through police tortures, arrests and public humiliation after the environmentalist particularly detested the idea of erecting Moi’s statue in the park.

Speaking at Uhuru Park, Moi said those opposed to the construction were having “insects in their heads,” and would go ahead to call on women to punish Maathai for “disrespecting Moi.

But Maathai pressed on undeterred and would travel abroad to rally support for her course.

Eventually, after immense international pressure, construction of the building was halted and a wall that had been put up around the site brought down in 1992.

Wangari Maathai had won and the generations ahead now have access to Uhuru Park’s artificial lake, amusement parks for children and lawns to rest in.

 

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