Friday, 30 August, 2002,
Kenya’s President Daniel Arap Moi dismissed his long serving Vice President George Saitoti, in a row over who should succeed him.
President Moi had been traversing this East African nation for the last several weeks promoting Uhuru Kenyatta as his successor. Earlier that month, he had fired two government ministers who supported the Rainbow Alliance. Same week, William Samoei Ruto, a government minister close to Moi, called on the 58-year-old Saitoti to resign for opposing Kenyatta, signaling that the president was becoming increasingly unhappy with his appointed vice president.
Mr Saitoti, vice president for 13 years, had been at the forefront of a rebellion within the ruling party over Mr Moi’s decision to back the son of the late independence leader, Jomo Kenyatta, as his preferred choice as next president.
President Moi had been campaigning strongly for Uhuru Kenyatta to succeed him, but two weeks earlier, Mr Saitoti had announced his intention to stand for the ruling party’s presidential nomination. No reason was given, and no replacement was named. Saitoti’s duties as home affairs minister were handed over to Ruto.
“Saitoti is my friend but friendship and leadership are two different things” ~ President Moi.
