Former President Daniel Moi, just as any other ruler, had the people who formed his inner circle, whose job at times included playing dirty to uphold the president's wish.
For Moi, these were Ezekiel Barngetuny, Kariuki Chotara and Mulu Mutisya, all of whom, desoite being powerful, were all illiterate.
Others were Sharif Nassir and Wilson Leitich, with the five either serving as KANU chairmen or nominated MPs.
Its this group that he used to have his critics controversially defeated in elections and replaced with more loyal persons, and also crush any opposition on his way.
Nominated MP Barngetuny, for instance, was said to have been involved in the controversial loss of Jean Marie Seroney to Henry Kosgey in the Tinderet parliamentary race in 1979.
Seroney had brought himself out as a troublesome element after he joined other parliamentarians claiming that KANU was dead in 1976, leading to Barngetuny mobilizing whatever it took to have him out.
He also didn't want Kikuyu's in Nandi, claiming that Nandi was for Nandi people, the other reason that made Moi, through his men, have him thrown out and later detained without trial.
In Nakuru, Chotara, the Nakuru District KANU Chair was used to give former MP Kihika Kimani tough time on grounds that he had been part of the "Change the Constitution" movement.
This was a union of Kikuyu leaders who wanted the Constitution changed in 1976, to block Moi from automatically ascending to the presidency after the death of Jomo Kenyatta.
The others, Mutisya and and Sharif were also involved in the campaign to ensure that KANU had its way, whatever the cost.
This saw persons who were opppsed to the Moi regime, the likes of Koigi Wa Wamwere to flee to Norway when things became too hot.
When he died in 1988, Chotara was succeeded by Leitich who proposed KANU opposers to have their fingers chopped off.