Despite their hot and cold relationship, retired President Daniel Moi had a soft spot on former Nyaribari Masaba MP Simeon Nyachae.
Nyachae, who rose ranks within provincial administration, joined politics in 1992 after serving as Head of Civil Service and Provincial Commissioner.
As succession in KANU heightened, retired President Daniel Moi at one point settled on Mr Nyachae, having ruled out George Saitoti, Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi.
According to former Interior Minister Julius Sunkuli, Moi abandoned the plans because Nyachae's Abagusii community were few at that time.
“He (Moi) believed that for you to rule Kenya, you first had to have a political support base behind you and to have the support of Central Kenya voters. Whereas Saitoti enjoyed the support of Central Kenya, he had no control of Kajiado,” he said.
Mr Sunkuli said Moi had a strong liking for the Kenyatta family and believed that he still owed them for his political career.
“He knew all Mzee Kenyatta’s children personally. He had watched Uhuru grow up from a young child and he believed that he was the right scion to take over. He had also mentored him for a long time and he believed that Uhuru was capable of holding the Central Kenya people together,” he said.
The former Finance Minister contested in 2002 polls but emerged third behind Mwai Kibaki, the eventual winner and President Uhuru Kenyatta.
In 2007, Nyachae lost his seat to little known Dr Robert Monda. He subsequently quit politics and retired to his Kileleshwa home. His son Charles Ayacko lost Kisii senatorial seat in 2017.
The current Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang'i is his nephew and at one time, he worked as Mzee Nyachae's private secretary.
Despite scooping 300,000 votes, the Gusii community population has grown steadily. The census results released on Monday showed that Kisii and Nyamira Counties have a combined population of 1.8 million excluding those in the diaspora.