Lee Njiru explains his claims on why Moi was not actually born in 1924

Kenyans were still reeling with the news of the death of former President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi when his Press Secretary Lee Njiru hit them with some new details on his “real age”.

History officially records Mr. Moi as having died at 95 years but that, according to Mr. Njiru, is wrong.

Njiru who has worked for Moi for 42 years claims that the retired president died aged between 102 and 103 years.

Claiming to have known Kenya’s second president more than anyone else, Mr. Njiru said that Kenyans should not believe details captured in Moi’s Identification Card.

“Unajua Mzee Moi sio hiyo miaka mnasema 96, he was about 102-103. Hiyo mambo ya kipande wachana nayo,” said Mr. Njiru in a TV interview.

“Ukitaka kuhesabu miaka ya Moi, tunahesabu hizi, 1936, na hiyo imeandikwa huko Kapsabet, alitumwa na wazungu kupeleka ng’ombe wa kike kilomita 100 hadi Kapsowar… alifikisha na akapewa shilingi mbili akanunua bibilia. Wakati huo, kijana hangetumwa na wazee kama hajatahiri, kwa hivyo alikua ametahiri 1936 and he was big bodied ndio akapewa hiyo jukumu ndio asikue molested by cattle rustlers. Kama angezaliwa 1924 vile kipande inasema, he would have been 12…”

Mr. Njiru said that Moi’s age was not a secret, “but a matter of conjecture” because unlike other elderly statesmen like Jeremiah Nyaga and Charles Njonjo, Moi’s birth wasn’t recorded because he came from a poor family.

“Mtu kama Charles Njonjo anajua alizaliwa 1920 sababu baba yake alikua chief na aliandika. Mtu kama Jeremiah Nyaga, alizaliwa 1920 maanake baba yake alikua pastor na aliandika, mzee Moi hakuna mtu aliandika…,” he added.

Lee Njiru mourned Mr. Moi saying “he was like a father to me, a teacher and a leader.”