A wave of Moi renaming fever swept across the country few years after he took over from the founding President, Jomo Kenyatta.
At this time, Kenyans were falling over themselves to associate everything with the Moi name.
The idea behind this naming according to observers was a desire by everyone to distance themselves from Moi’s political opponents and reassure Moi that they were with him by renaming their institutions, Moi.
This was followed by dozens of institutions across the country right from schools, streets and residential areas being named after Moi.
The naming fever started by setting aside of a special day in the Kenyan calendar that was called Moi day. Afterwards, Mombasa Airport was named Moi International Airport.
Then new institutions at that time were named Moi at birth, for instance, Moi University and Moi Referral Hospital. Kenya’s largest sporting facility back then known as Kasarani stadium was named Moi Sports Centre.
Moreover, many institutions were named after him, the name Nyayo from his Nyayo philosophy was also adopted and used to name institutions and public facilities across the country.
Kenya’s second largest stadium came to be called Nyayo stadium.
Furthermore, there were Nyayo tea zones and Nyayo hospital wards. However, although the Moi day was scrapped from Kenya’s calendar and no longer exists after his retirement, the institutions, facilities and streets still bear his name.
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