During Mzee Jomo Kenyatta's reign, Mbiyu Koinange was undoubtedly one of the most influential ministers who at times guided the president on critical decision making.
Being the first Kenyan to get a university degree, Koinange was respected among his colleagues in cabinet. He served as minister of State in the office of the President.
Besides his education, the third wife of the founding president was sister to Mr Koinange, thus the close family relationship also gave him a slight advantage.
Veteran journalist Kamau Ngotho recalls that at one point, he was told by former Head of Civil Service Geoffrey Kareithi that Mr Koinange, despite his education, had very low concentration during Cabinet meetings.
"It amazed me that, though a product of premier institutions, New York Columbia University and Cambridge, Koinange loathed reading and had the least concentration on anything. He hardly read any Cabinet paper and would sleep in the middle of Cabinet meetings," he recalled.
After Kenyatta's death in 1978, Koinange, who had been opposed to Daniel Moi's ascendancy to power, was transferred to the Ministry of Environment but could not locate the offices.
“Where the hell are offices of that thing called Environment, and what do they do?” he asked as quoted by the Nation.
Not ready to move on after Kenyatta's death, Koinange kept referring to his docket as Ministry of State on presidency. At one point, former Vice President Mwai Kibaki is said to have asked him to 'move on to the present'.
“Mr Minister, it appears like you are still living in the past. You better come to the present, otherwise, you’ll waste all out time,” said Kibaki.