NRM general Miguna Miguna has sent a message of condolence to the family of the late Kenneth Matiba.
Matiba, a champion of reforms and who once challenged former President Moi for the top seat, died yesterday at Karen hospital in Nairobi.
"My condolences to the family and relatives of Kenneth Matiba, a man who had loyally served a brutal dictatorship but had the good decency to turn against it during the last years of his life," Miguna tweeted from Canada, where he is staying after being deported from Kenya.
He added: "That's much better than those who opposed the barbaric system then coddled it in the end."
Miguna, a former advisor to ex-Prime Minister Raila Odinga, was among key leaders in Kenya who paid tribute to the late Matiba.
President Kenyatta said in a live address: "Mzee Matiba was a true patriot who loved this nation of Kenya, a nationalist who believed in hard work and building strong bonds of friendship for the betterment of all."
Matiba had been sick for quite sometime before he succumbed.