Jonathan Moi sons want to be part of their father's burial plans
Lawrence Kipchumba (left) and his twin step brothers Gerald Kipkosgei and Geoffrey Kipkurui (right), sons of the late Jonathan Toroitich Moi, the eldest son of the retired president Daniel arap Moi at their grandmother’s home, Lena Moi, at Kabimoi in Baringo County on April 25, 2019. PHOTO | FRANCIS MUREITHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- "We are not outsiders... we are legitimate sons," say Gerald and Geoffrey.
- The twins want to be involved in planning their father’s final send off.
- They say they were the first sons whom the father revealed that he was ailing.
When their father was alive, he was involved in their lives. He paid for their education, initiation and upkeep.
Now in his death, the twins – Gerald Kipkosgei Toroitich and Geoffrey Kipkirui Toroitich – want to be involved in planning their father’s final send off.
Recalling their interaction with their father, they said they were the first of the children of Jonathan Toroitich Moi, the eldest son of former President Daniel arap Moi, to learn that their father was sick.
“We met with dad on January 6 in 2019 at KFC in Nakuru and we had a good chat.
“He told us to study hard as education was the key to success. He loved education. He told us he saw a bright future in us,” the twins said in turns.
REVEALED HIS SICKNESS
Gerald said their father gave them school fees and later sent his personal assistant to clear the balance of the just ended semester.
At the same time, they said in February their dad called them and they again met him at KFC in Nakuru town.
“The second meeting he held our heads and prayed for us and blessed us and revealed to us that he was ailing. From his looks, he really was not in his best of health,” recalls Gerald.
However, after revealing his sickness, they said, they asked him what would happened in case he is not around.
“Dad told us not to worry because even in his absence everything is in place and is organised and money will fall like rainfall,” said Gerald.
Gerald Kipkosgei Toroitich, 21, a son of the late Jonathan Toroitich Moi during the interview at his grandmother's home, Lena Moi, at Kabimoi in Baringo on April 25, 2019. PHOTO | FRANCIS MUREITHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
NEWS OF DEATH
They said that they had planned to visit their father in Nakuru on Saturday but received the bad news moments after arriving in Kabimoi.
“When we were called and told to come home nobody told us our dad was sick in the hospital. I only heard in the radio that our dad is dead. When I switched on my phone my pagulei (age mate) had texted me.
“I have never cried because somebody or a relative has died but on receiving this particular news I cried,” he added.
The two, born out of wedlock, say they are legitimate children of Mzee Moi’s eldest son and everyone in the family knows.
Geoffrey said their father used to help them through his personal assistants.
GRANDMOTHER'S HOME
“What is worrying us is that nobody is coming to tell us when our father will be buried yet they know us since we were children as we have been living at our grandmother’s home,” said Geoffrey.
“Our dad made sure we never suffered and sent home because of lack of school fees,” said Geoffrey.
Geoffrey Kipkurui Toroitich, 21, a son of the late Jonathan Toroitich Moi at his grandmother's home, Lena Moi, at Kabimoi in Baringo on April 25, 2019. He says the brothers have not been involved in their father's burial plans. PHOTO | FRANCIS MUREITHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The twins have been living at their late grandmother Lena Moi’s home, where they spoke to the Nation on Thursday.
In the interview, the two showed the Nation their original birth certificates, which indicate that their father is Mr Toroitich.
Their identification cards too, bear the surname of the deceased.
COLD RECEPTION
The second-year students at the Rift Valley Institute of Technology in Eldoret are concerned that the burial preparations for the former rally driver are being conducted without their involvement.
“We feel very sad and isolated when we are sidelined in the burial arrangements of our dear father yet we are legitimate sons and all our uncles and aunties including our father’s first wife Sylvia knows Jonathan is our dad,” said a teary Gerald.
Gerald is studying agricultural engineering, while Geoffrey is taking electrical and electronic engineering at diploma level.
They said the reception at their father’s home is cold and their efforts to speak to Sylvia has been futile.
“We want even our grandfather Daniel arap Moi also to know that we are not involved in the burial of our father yet in our veins runs the blood of our grandfather. We want to be included in the burial and be recognised as we are legal sons of Jonathan and that is why we are staying at his later mother’s home because we are not outsiders,” said Gerald.
Gerald Kipkosgei Toroitich (left) and his twin brother Geoffrey Kipkurui Toroitich, 21, display a birth certificate and an identity card showing that the late Jonathan Toroitich as their father. The two were born out of wedlock. PHOTO | FRANCIS MUREITHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
MOTHER
He added: “Our dad participated fully in our initiation ceremony, paid for our school fees from primary, secondary and now at the college and we should not be referred as illegitimate children.”
According to the birth certificates, the twins were born on March 21, 1998 and their mother’s name is Roseline Rechoh Adhiambo Opata who hails from Bondo in Siaya county.
“The details in the birth certificates indicating Jonathan as our dad was not the making of our mother. Jonathan himself sent the details before we applied for the certificate,” said Gerald.
According to the twins, their mother met with Jonathan while she was a tutor at Kabimoi Polytechnic.
“I knew my dad from birth and I started interacting with my dad while I was only four years old,” said Gerald.
ANOTHER SON
The twins said they are staying at the grandmother's home since they had not been allocated any land by their father.
Another son of Jonathan, Mr Lawrence Kipchumba Toroitich, 36, said that he has also been sidelined in the burial preparations of his father.
Mr Lawrence Kipchumba, 36, a son of the late Jonathan Toroitich Moi, at his grandmother’s home, Lena Moi, at Kabimoi in Baringo County on April 25, 2019. He says he was born out of wedlock and has not been involved in the burial arrangements of his late father. PHOTO | FRANCIS MUREITHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
“I was born out of wedlock and mother Mary Cheruto has told me my dad is Jonathan. I have confirmed this because he participated fully in my initiation ceremony meaning that I was his son,” said Lawrence.
He described his late father as a “very generous man”.
The late Jonathan, 64, popularly known as JT, succumbed to cancer last Friday while undergoing treatment at a Nakuru hospital.
