Editing Daniel arap Moi (section)

==Presidency==
[[File:Kenya presidential standard DANIEL ARAP MOI.svg|left|thumb|230x230px|Presidential Standard of Daniel Toroitich arap Moi]]
When Jomo Kenyatta died on 22 August 1978, Moi became acting president. Per the Constitution, a [[1978 Kenyan presidential election|special presidential election]] for the balance of Kenyatta's term was to be held on 8 November, 90 days later. However, a Cabinet meeting decided that no one else was interested in running for presidency, thus various politicians began campaigning across the country for Moi to be declared the president unopposed. He was therefore sworn in as the second President of Kenya on 14 October 1978 as a result of the [[walkover]] electoral process.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mp3bhYdaW7cC&pg=PA28 |title=Masinde Muliro: A Biography |last=Simiyu Wandibba |publisher=East African Publishers |year=1996 |isbn=9789966467652 |page=28 |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-date=30 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530140824/https://books.google.com/books?id=Mp3bhYdaW7cC&pg=PA28#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FAdXAAAAYAAJ |title=The Weekly Review |publisher=Stellascope Limited |year=1988 |page=11}}</ref>
[[File:Koningin Juliana en Prins Bernhard ontvangen President Arap Moi van Kenya op Pal, Bestanddeelnr 930-3185.jpg|thumb|227x227px|Moi with [[Juliana of the Netherlands|Queen Juliana]] and [[Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld|Prince Bernhard]] during his state visit to the Netherlands in June 1979]]
In the beginning, Moi was popular with widespread support all over the country. He toured the country and came into contact with the people everywhere, which was in great contrast to Kenyatta's imperious style of leadership from behind closed doors. However, political realities dictated that he would continue to be beholden to the system of government that Kenyatta had created and to whose headship he had acceded, including the nearly dictatorial powers vested in his office. Despite his popularity, Moi was still unable to fully consolidate his power. From the beginning, [[anti-communism]] was an important theme of Moi's government; speaking on the new President's behalf, Vice-President [[Mwai Kibaki]] bluntly stated, "There is no room for [[Communist Party of Kenya|Communists]] in Kenya."<ref>Miller, Norman and Rodger Yeager. ''Kenya: The Quest for Prosperity'' (second edition). Page 173.</ref>

On 1 August 1982, lower-level Air Force personnel, led by Senior [[Private (rank)|Private]] Grade-I [[Hezekiah Ochuka]] and backed by university students, [[1982 Kenyan coup d'état attempt|attempted a coup d'état]] to oust Moi. The revolt was quickly suppressed by military and police forces commanded by Chief of General Staff [[Mahamoud Mohamed]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3MctAQAAIAAJ |title=Society |publisher=Nyamora Communications Limited |year=1992 |page=12}}</ref> There may have been two or even three independent groups attempting to seize power at the same time, for differing reasons, but the most serious was led by prominent Kikuyu politicians and members of the police and armed forces.<ref>{{cite book |page=31 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L_UYruQyn54C&pg=PA31 |title=Multi-party Politics in Kenya: The Kenyatta & Moi States & the Triumph of the System in the 1992 Election |author1=David Throup |author2=Charles Hornsby |publisher=James Currey Publishers |year=1998 |isbn=9780852558041 |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-date=30 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530140843/https://books.google.com/books?id=L_UYruQyn54C&pg=PA31 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Moi took the opportunity to dismiss political opponents and consolidate his power. He reduced the influence of Kenyatta's men in the cabinet through a long-running judicial enquiry that resulted in the identification of key Kenyatta men as traitors. Moi pardoned them but not before establishing their traitor status in the public view. The main conspirators in the coup, including Ochuka, were sentenced to death, marking the last judicial executions in Kenya.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/big-read/2016-09-07-no-hanging-since-1987-is-death-penalty-still-relevant/ |work=[[The Star (Kenya)|The Star]] |author=Joseph Ndunda |title=No hanging since 1987: Is death penalty still relevant? |date=7 September 2016 |access-date=4 February 2020 |archive-date=4 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204190711/https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/big-read/2016-09-07-no-hanging-since-1987-is-death-penalty-still-relevant/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Moi appointed loyalists to key positions and changed the constitution to formally make KANU the only legally permitted party in the country. But this made little difference to the political situation, as all significant opposition parties had been outlawed since 1969. Kenya's academics and other intelligentsia did not accept this and educational institutions across the country became sites of movements that sought to introduce democratic reforms. However, Kenyan [[secret police]] infiltrated these groups and many of their members were exiled. [[Marxism]] could no longer be taught at Kenyan universities. The remaining opposition at home went underground.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nation.co.ke/news/1056-372744-l7yig3z/index.html |author=Stephen Mburu |date=12 March 2000 |title=Govt reaction was very harsh |access-date=4 February 2020 |archive-date=4 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204190838/https://www.nation.co.ke/news/1056-372744-l7yig3z/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:Dr Banda is welcomed in Kenya by Daniel Arap Moi.jpg|left|thumb|Moi welcoming [[Hastings Banda]] to Kenya]]
Starting in the late 1980s, Moi's regime faced the [[Cold War (1985–1991)|end of the Cold War]], as well as a national economic stagnation under rising oil prices and falling prices of agricultural commodities. Western governments also became more hostile to the KANU regime, a change of policy from the time of the Cold War, when Kenya had been viewed as an important regional stabilizer, preventing the spread of Soviet influence beyond [[Derg|Ethiopia]], [[Somali Democratic Republic|Somalia]], and [[Chama Cha Mapinduzi|Tanzania]]. During that time, Kenya had received much foreign aid, and the country was accepted as a stable, if authoritarian, regime with Moi and the KANU firmly in charge. Western allies overlooked the increasing degree of [[political repression]], including the use of [[torture]] at the infamous [[Nyayo House]] torture chambers. Some of the evidence of these torture cells was exposed in 2003 after opposition leader [[Mwai Kibaki]] became president.<ref>News From Africa, March 2003: [http://www.newsfromafrica.org/newsfromafrica/articles/art_1282.html Stunning revelations] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060710205059/http://www.newsfromafrica.org/newsfromafrica/articles/art_1282.html |date=10 July 2006 }}</ref>
[[File:Prince Michael Moi of Kenya is welcomed upon his arrival for a visit to the United States - DPLA - 56e0485545d8c2ebff29726c93a2e1e7.jpeg|thumb|Daniel arap Moi of Kenya is welcomed upon his arrival for a visit to the United States on 28 September 1981.]]
With the fall of the Soviet Union and a lessening need to counter [[Socialist state|socialist influence]] in the region, Western policymakers changed their toward Moi and other pro-Western Third World authoritarian regimes. They increasingly regarded Moi as a [[despotism|despotic ruler]] rather than an important regional stabilizer. Foreign aid was withheld pending compliance with economic and political reforms. One of the key conditions imposed on his regime, especially by the United States through fiery ambassador [[Smith Hempstone]], was the restoration of a [[multi-party system]]. Despite his own lack of enthusiasm for the reintroduction of a multi-party system, Moi managed to win over his party who were against the reform. Moi announced his intention to repeal Section 2(A) of the constitution, lifting the ban on opposition parties, at a KANU conference in [[Kasarani]] in December 1991. Despite fierce debate and opposition from many delegates, the conference passed the motion unanimously.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L_UYruQyn54C&pg=PA86 |title=Multi-party Politics in Kenya: The Kenyatta & Moi States & the Triumph of the System in the 1992 Election |last1=David Throup |last2=Charles Hornsby |publisher=James Currey Publishers |year=1998 |isbn=9780852558041 |pages=86–87 |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-date=30 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530140826/https://books.google.com/books?id=L_UYruQyn54C&pg=PA86 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Regardless of the presence of opposition parties, Moi and the KANU clinched power in the first multi-party elections in [[1992 Kenyan general election|1992]], and once again in [[1997 Kenyan general election|1997]]. Both elections were marred by [[political violence]] on both the government and opposition forces. Moi skillfully exploited Kenya's mix of ethnic tensions in these contests, gaining a plurality in both elections through a mix of picking votes across the country while his opponents' support was more concentrated, attracting votes from smaller tribes, and the [[Luhya people|Luhya]], and taking advantage of fears of Kikuyu domination over the non-Kikuyu majority.<ref name="CowenLaakso141">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kLvSYzHNTHcC&pg=PA141 |title=Multi-party Elections in Africa |last1=Michael Cowen |last2=Liisa Laakso |publisher=James Currey Publishers |year=2002 |isbn=9780852558430 |pages=141–142 |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-date=30 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530140829/https://books.google.com/books?id=kLvSYzHNTHcC&pg=PA141 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the absence of an effective and organised opposition, Moi had no difficulty in winning. Although it is also suspected that electoral fraud may have occurred, the key to his victory in both elections was a divided opposition. In 1992 he polled 36.3% of the votes, and in 1997 he received 40.4%, but both were comfortable victories due to vote-splitting between the various opposition groups, which failed to unify and field one opposition candidate.<ref name="CowenLaakso141" />