Nairobi, May 24 -- When the Narc government rose to power, ending President Daniel arap Moi's 24-year rule, it appeared as though most of Moi's "untouchables" would also capitulate.

It did not take long before Moi's longest-serving and reclusive personal assistant, Joshua Kulei, was summoned to the CID headquarters - now the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) - for questioning over the Goldenberg scandal, one of the country's biggest financial scandals involving the fraudulent payment of export compensation for fictitious gold and diamond exports in the 1990s.

Thereafter, Mr Kulei, who had amassed an enviable fortune during the period he oversaw President Moi's private business interests, saw his name feature in one probe afte...