Daniel Arap Moi’s body was brought in on a gun carriage with the military heavily to the fore in the event celebrating the life of the 95-year old who died last week.

Critics of Daniel Arap Moi’s 24-year presidency call him authoritarian.

Admirers say he brought stability at a time Kenya badly needed it.

His tenure from 1978 to 2002 saw multi-party democracy restored and the rough handling of plotters in a failed coup.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has called Moi the father of the nation and a champion of Pan Africanism.

Moi came to power after the death of Kenyatta’s father Jomo who was Kenya’s first president.

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He led that central African country into multiparty elections and won two of them.

Daniel Arap Moi was known as Nyayo, which is the Swahili word for footsteps because he maintained he followed in the path of Kenya’s first president Jomo Kenyatta whom he succeeded on his death in 1978.

He was Kenyatta’s Deputy President for 11 years

Moi is still Kenya’s longest serving president.

It was a combination of domestic agitation and international pressure that led him to introducing multi-party  elections in 1991.

He led the ruling Kenya African Union to victory in the 1992 and 1997 polls.

His death was announced in a presidential proclamation. He has been unwell for some time.

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President Uhuru Kenyatta says this shows his country has a come a long way.

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The Kenyan decision is an attempt to prevent the glorification of political leaders.

Previous coins bore the likenesses of ex-rulers Joma Kenyatta, Daniel Arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki.

All three also had their images printed on banknotes during their rule.

Many Kenyans felt this was an attempt by the leaders to promote themselves and the cult of the personality

New coins have at their heads lions, elephants, giraffes and rhinos.

Hailing what he calls this big change is President Uhuru Kenyatta who has promised never to have his picture on Kenya’s currency. 

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