Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

A11
WORLD NEWS Wednesday 5 February 2020

Former Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi is dead at age 95

By TOM ODULA so wary of threats at the
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — time that he fled his Rift Val-
Daniel arap Moi, a former ley home when he learned
schoolteacher who be- of Kenyatta's death, return-
came Kenya's longest-serv- ing only after receiving as-
ing president and led the surances of his safety.
East African nation through In 1982, Moi's government
years of repression and pushed through parliament
economic turmoil fueled a constitutional amend-
by runaway corruption, ment that made Kenya ef-
died Tuesday at age 95. fectively a one-party state.
Moi succeeded Kenya's Later that year, the army
founding president, Jomo quelled a coup attempt
Kenyatta, in 1978 and ruled by opposition members
for 24 years. His death was and some air force officers.
announced by Kenyat- At least 159 people were
ta's son and current presi- killed.
dent, Uhuru Kenyatta, who Although Kenya was known
called him a leader in the for its stability, Moi's govern-
struggle for Kenyan inde- ment became more re-
pendence and an ardent pressive in dealing with dis-
Pan-Africanist. sent, according to a report
Moi died peacefully at a by the government's Truth In this October, 2002, file photo, shows former Kenya's President Daniel arap Moi. Moi, a former
private hospital in Nairobi, Justice and Reconciliation schoolteacher who became Kenya’s longest-serving president and presided over years of re-
said his son, Sen. Gideon Commission that assessed pression and economic turmoil fueled by runaway corruption, has died. He was 95.
Moi. his rule. Political activists Associated Press
His critics called him a dic- and others who dared op-
tator for his authoritarian pose him were routinely de- became institutionalized By the time Moi left power try's currency and coins.
style, although Moi enjoyed tained, tortured and killed, and economic power was in 2002, corruption had Kenyans voted for a new
strong support from many the report said, including centralized in the hands of caused the contraction of constitution that was imple-
Kenyans and was seen as the death of a foreign af- a few, the report said. Kenya's economy, the most mented in 2010 and made
a unifying figure when he fairs minister, Robert Ouko. In 1991, Moi yielded to pub- developed in East Africa. provisions to bar personality
took over after the death "The judiciary became an lic pressure at home and Moi often blamed the West cults.
of Jomo Kenyatta, who accomplice in the per- abroad for a multiparty for bad publicity and the Kenyans had a mixed reac-
had led the country follow- petuation of violations, state, including a demon- economic hardships that tion to Moi's death.
ing its independence from while parliament was trans- stration where police killed many Kenyans endured Commentator Patrick
Britain in 1963. formed into a puppet con- more than 20 people. during his rule. Gathara tweeted that
Some of Kenyatta's allies trolled by the heavy hand Multiparty elections in 1992 As with President Jomo Ke- Tuesday was a day to re-
had tried to change the of the executive," the re- and 1997 were marred by nyatta, many government member Moi's victims "as
constitution to prevent then port said. political and ethnic vio- projects, buildings were well as the thousands who
Vice President Moi from Corruption, especially the lence that critics blamed named after Moi, and his stood against his brutal and
succeeding him. Moi was illegal allocation of land, on the state. face adorned the coun- murderous kleptocracy. q

Damage reported after 5.0 quake strikes near Puerto Rico

By DANICA COTO pal pool that had already depth of 4 miles (7 kilome- gized the area, leading to tered are simply scared to
Associated Press been closed to the public. ters), according to the U.S. 10 aftershocks in the hour return home but have re-
SANTA ISABEL, Puerto Rico It also prompted re-inspec- Geological Survey. It was that followed, he said. ported no damage in their
(AP) — A magnitude 5.0 tions of homes, schools and felt across the island. "This is going to continue, house.
aftershock rattled southern other buildings. Víctor Huérfano, director of and it's going to continue Guanica Mayor Santos
Puerto Rico on Tuesday, "The fear is that that they've Puerto Rico's Seismic Net- for some time," Huérfano Seda told the AP that while
causing some cracks but once again been affect- work, told the AP that the warned. no damage was report-
no reported injuries in a re- ed," Guayanilla spokesman quake is part of a string of Some 4,000 people remain ed in his town, he worried
gion that has been shaken Danny González told The tremors that have followed in shelters in Puerto Rico's about the emotional toll
by continuing quakes for Associated Press. "It was a a 6.4 earthquake that hit southern region, and of- the tremors are having on
more than a month. strong one." Jan. 7, killing one person ficials expected that num- people.
Officials in the southwest The 10:45 a.m. (1445 GMT) and damaging or destroy- ber to rise with the latest "It's a setback to progress
coastal town of Guayanilla quake struck 9 miles (15 ki- ing hundreds of homes and quake. we've made emotion-
reported a cracked wall lometers) south-southeast schools. Authorities have noted that ally," he said of the latest
and arch near a munici- of Guanica at a shallow The new quake re-ener- the majority of those shel- quake.q