Even as most Kenyans continue to mourn the demise of the country’s second President Daniel Arap Moi, some, however, have little to remember of a man who ruled the country for 24 years.
Among those who found hard to mourn the departed former head of state is Koigi Wamwere, who is the former Subukia Member of Parliament.
Speaking to Citizen Tv on Tuesday evening, Koigi confessed that it was so hard for him to forgive a man who nearly ruined his life through detention and torture during the Nyayo era.
While recalling how he was tortured and locked up in prison for no apparent reasons, the veteran politician said it was so hard for him to forget what he underwent.
“Moi locked me up for 9 years. Remember nobody will lock you in prison for that long without giving you an opportunity to explain yourself and still be your friend. That is unforgivable” stated Koigi.
Koigi claimed the reason they were locked up by the Kanu regime is not that they had done any wrong but rather because they were only viewed as communists and socialist.
Koigi Wa Wamwere on his fallout with Moi:
“Moi locked me up for 9 years, nobody can lock you up and be your friend…” #NewsNight pic.twitter.com/r8cw4jPRSE
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) February 4, 2020
Koigi said he was first detained between August 9, 1975, and December 12, 1976, by the Kenyatta regime. He was later detained again from August 5, 1982, to December 12, 1984, when the late Moi took over power from the former President Jomo Kenyatta.
Koigi was tortured at Nyayo House for 11 days, from October 8, 1990, to October 19, 1990.
He was then transferred to Kamiti Maximum Security Prison where he was tortured from October 19, 1990, to January 19, 1993.
In 2015, Kenya’s court of appeal awarded Koigi Sh12 million for the suffering he underwent in detention in 1975 and 1982.
Koigi had filed an appeal for the damages to be reviewed upwards from the Sh2.5 million award he was given by High Court judge Mumbi Ngugi in 2012.