Moi Cabinets: Simeon Nyachae; ridden like a horse he learnt to say no

Simeon Nyachae, center, introduces wives from left Esther Nyaboke, Martha and Grace.

When a boy is born in a family where he has to compete for resources and attention with his brothers and sisters born to 15 mothers, being assertive is an understatement.

Simeon Nyachae was neither the first nor the last in the expansive home of colonial chief Musa Nyandusi, who ruled with an iron fist. From the day he was born sometimes in 1932, Nyachae had to learn some survival tactics that would later serve him well in public administration and politics.