One of the most significant early acts of Moi's government was the release of political prisoners who had been detained under Kenyatta. These prisoners had been held in various detention facilities across Kenya, some for extended periods, and their release was celebrated as evidence of Moi's commitment to reconciliation and to a more open political system than Kenyatta had maintained.
Among the significant detainees released was Sergei Kubai, who had been imprisoned for his involvement in radical politics and labor organizing. Kubai's release was symbolically important because it suggested that the new government would tolerate dissent and organizing that the Kenyatta regime had suppressed. However, Kubai's subsequent re-detention would demonstrate that the tolerance implied by initial releases had limits.
Oginga Odinga, the former Vice President who had opposed Kenyatta's political leadership since 1966, was another significant released prisoner. Odinga had been detained multiple times under Kenyatta for his political activities and his opposition to government policies. The appearance of Odinga in the 1979 election as a potentially active political figure symbolized the possibility of more open political debate under Moi.
Other detainees from various backgrounds were released. Students arrested during protests, activists arrested for labor organizing, and politicians arrested for perceived disloyalty to Kenyatta were freed. The government released dozens of long-term detainees in the months before the 1979 election.
The released detainees had experienced imprisonment without trial or with limited legal process. They had been held under the detention power granted to the president under the Constitution, a power that Kenyatta had used extensively to suppress opposition. The release of these detainees was understood as a statement that the new president would use the detention power more sparingly.
However, the release of detainees was only a partial opening of the political system. While some prisoners were released, the detention power itself remained in place. The Moi government, like the Kenyatta government before it, retained the power to detain people without trial. This meant that the apparent opening represented by prisoner releases was reversible and contingent on the government's continuing tolerance.
Some released detainees participated in the 1979 election as candidates or as political activists. This provided them with opportunities to participate in the electoral process and to represent their constituencies or to advance political positions. However, the extent to which released detainees could participate freely without government interference remained uncertain.
The release of detainees was presented by the Moi government as evidence of its commitment to human rights and to more inclusive governance. The government used the releases in its campaign messaging to demonstrate that it was different from the Kenyatta government. However, whether the releases represented a fundamental change in governance philosophy or merely a tactical opening would become clear in subsequent years as Moi's government consolidated power.
See Also
Sources
- Widner, Jennifer. The Rise of a Party-State in Kenya: From Harambee to Nyayo. University of California Press, 1992.
- Amnesty International. "Kenya: A Human Rights Review." 1988.
- Hornsby, Charles. Kenya: A History Since Independence. I.B. Tauris, 2012.