The late former President Daniel arap Moi's wardrobe was carefully selected to complement his stature as an African statesman as well as an all-powerful president who ruled the country with an iron fist for a record 24 years.
He had a penchant for well-matched sharp suits, ties and shoes, a trait he carried on well into his retirement after relinquishing power in 2002.
What is unknown to many was a team of loyalties, with the most notable being Stephen Kipkering Sugut, a retired presidential security officer, who transformed his style every dawn for public appearances.
According to a report by The Standard in 2010, Sugut and the team were charged with selection and preparation of right-matching suits for the then head of state.
In most instances, Moi appeared in public donning iconic and shirts, socks, neckties, suits and shoes of matching colours.
"There was a senior officer in charge of clothes for the president and I was among those who did selections. The senior officer would make the final decision before the clothes were presented to the Head of State for his pick," Sugut told the publication.
He further noted that the former president had a taste for expensive apparel with special attention paid to British designer suits accompanied by a fresh flower lapel.
They had access to his diary to align the clothes to the day's event and make the president stand out on every occasion.
"The roses were Moi’s trademark and everyone accorded them utmost care and tending. He would never leave State House or his Kabarnet Gardens residence without one on his lapel.
"Moi was very active and an early riser. We would be up at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. to make sure he was set for his routine duties," he continued.
Moi was so fashion-conscious that every occasion called for a set class of apparel. For instance, church clothes differed from rally outfits and the team had to stay on its toes. They had to accompany the president everywhere he went including outside the country.
"It was official attire when he attended church and State functions. He would don designer-made short-sleeved shirts during harambees, tree-planting or trips to hot zones like Coast or North-Eastern provinces.
"I travelled widely and gained a lot of experience being with Moi. The only region I never went to is Australia," revealed Sugut.
He was born in 1947 at Sironoi village in Nandi District, completed primary school in 1965 and joined Kaiboi Technical Institute in 1966 where he dropped a year later for lack of school fees.
He, however, never lost hope and joined the police force in September 1967. He worked diligently to become a presidential escort officer under the founding President Jomo Kenyatta in 1973.
He then joined Mzee Moi's team in 1974 and went on to work with the former president for 24 years.
Moi passed away on the morning of Tuesday, February 4, at the The Nairobi Hospital.
