Professor George Saitoti lived in fear despite occupying some of the highest positions in government. His predicaments started in 1990 while in in an Indian restaurant in Nairobi’s Muthaiga area. He was poisoned, according to investigations, Saitoti ingested cyanide gas, probably laced on his food or plate. That incident changed his life forever. The former DP was so terrified to the extent of fearing even his own shadow.
According to Moi the poisoning was motivated by a conspiracy to overthrow his government. According to Moi and Saitoti, the poisoning took place shortly after Ouko was assassinated.
Koech, who shadowed Saitoti for many years alongside Inspector Joshua Tonkei who also died in the Sunday crash, as well as others aides like the tallish Ole Surtan who died four years ago, says the former minister changed his routine and raised his level of security consciousness after the incident.
Saitoti would later tell Parliament his skin peeled off after the poisoning and a new one grew in its place. But it also seems alongside the new body cover, also came a different view of life and its risks.
In 2010, as the Minister for Security, Saitoti stood in Parliament and named six MPs and businessmen who were suspected to be drug barons. Internal Security Minister George Saitoti informed the House that MPs Ali Hassan Joho (Kisauni), William Kabogo (Juja), Harun Mwau (Kilome) and Gideon Mbuvi alias Mike Sonko (Makadara) and Mombasa tycoon Ali Punjani are being investigated for alleged drug trafficking.
In 2011 while accompanied by Security Assistant Minister Orwa Ojode for a fund raising in Nyanza, news broke that a powerful Minister has died. After few minutes it was established that it was Professor Saitoti who had died. His lifeless body was seen lying in the forest, he was cut into two pieces. That marked the end of one of the brightest brains Kenya has ever produced.
Later it was established that Saitoti had one room in his house where he didn’t allow anyone to open and when he died, his wife called upon the government to open the room. The amount of money that was found in the room shocked everyone.
Saitoti was impotent, he adopted a son who would inherit his vast wealth.He was not a Maasai,but a Kikuyu who migrated to Ngong and changed his name so as to get a scholarship.
