BBC - Saturday, 1 January, 2000
He called on Africans to unite in the face of the "deadly epidemic racing across our land".
Calling Aids the biggest human disaster in the region since sleeping sickness left several million people dead at the turn of the last century, President Moi said: "Anything that can be said or done to halt the progress of the disease must be said and done."
Aids has killed at least 760,000 people in Kenya and the HIV virus that can lead to Aids has infected an estimated 1.9m people in a population of 30m.
Unicef says the number of Aids orphans in Kenya will reach 900,000 in 2000 and 13m in all of Africa.
Last November, President Moi reversed his position on the use of condoms, saying he did not oppose their use to stop the spread of Aids.
He had previously voiced strenuous objection to their use.
Before he made his address, President Moi met Roman Catholic leaders and told them God-fearing Christians who practiced abstinence would not need to use condoms.
Condoms, he said, would only be needed by those who could not control themselves.
War on Aids
Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa echoed President Moi's call during his own millennium address.
President Mkapa said the disease had now taken on alarming proportions.
"We must openly declare the war on this killer disease, mostly caused by promiscuity, let us not feel shy to talk about it and look for means to solve the problem," President Mkapa said in his traditional New Year address to Tanzanians.
He said that at least 2m Tanzanians were estimated to have been infected by HIV, while 600,000 others have developed Aids.
Tanzania's population is currently estimated at 32m.
"We must change our behaviour by leading decent lives and enhance public education on protection. This is likely to reduce new infections," President Mkapa added.
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