Besides his family, former Vice President and later Interior Minister George Saitoti only trusted four people in his life after a life threatening experience in 1990.
Prof Saitoti, who perished in a helicopter crash in 2012 days after announcing his bid to succeed President Mwai Kibaki, was poisoned in 1990, days after the murder of former minister Robert Ouko.
Those who hobnobbed with him say that Prof Saitoti had only three trusted security confidantes: Inspector Joshua Tonkei, his personal assistant, Michael ole Tanju, and a bodyguard named Sultan.
The only other confidant was businessman Jimi Wanjigi, who was to play a pivotal role in Prof Saitoti’s campaign.
It was only after President Daniel Moi had told a public meeting that the people who killed Dr Ouko were the same who “poisoned my Vice President” that the mathematics professor admitted that, indeed, he had been poisoned.
Since then, Saitoti is said to have lived a life full of conspiracy theories and paranoia, suspecting anybody who came around him. He quit presidential race in 2001 after leaning that retired President Daniel Moi was supporting Uhuru Kenyatta.
“I know there are many of you who wanted me to contest, is that not so?” he asked the delegates. “There come (sic) a time when the nation is more important than an individual… but one day I will be proved right.”
Coincidentally, Joshua Tonkei and Sultan were among those who perished with him in the helicopter crash in 2012 along Ngong Forest. His assistant Joshua Ojode also died.
A pathologist Dorothy Njeru told Commission of Enquiry that a poisonous gas had chocked all those on board before the helicopter crashed. It's not clear how it was sneaked into the chopper.