10 years after his death, former Cabinet Minister John Michuki's legacy is still alive as ever and he is credited with bringing sanity to Kenyan roads all while amassing a lot of wealth.
During his reign in various ministries, including that of Transport, he also made a big fortune which is estimated to be anywhere between Ksh3 billion and Ksh10 billion.
Michuki is credited with constructing the Kencom Building during his stint as the Kenya Commercial Bank's chairman, a position he assumed in 1971 after his appointment by the then President Jomo Kenyatta. After the building was unveiled in 1977, the area became mononymously known as KenCom.
Born at Muguru Village in Murang'a County, the billionaire rose from humble background and at the age of nine, he was forced to drop out of school due to lack of school fees to seek tailoring jobs. He got menial jobs and at some point he repaired shirt buttons for Ksh1 pay.
He was later able to resume his studies - attending Mangu High School for his secondary education and later at the internationally renowned Worcester College in UK to study public administration and economics.
When he returned, he joined the public service as a District Officer and was posted in Busia from where he began climbing up the ladder.
He was at the forefront of service providers, alongside Mwai Kibaki, who would later become Kenya's President, who were picked by Jomo Kenyatta to join the Government immediately the country got its independence in 1963.
Among the roles he held included Deputy Permanent Secretary in the National Treasury as well as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.
He, however, tested real power in 2003 when then newly elected President Mwai Kibaki appointed him to serve as the Minister for Transport and Communications. Immediately, he sought to transform the transport industry which had at the time been infiltrated by cartels.
He introduced a raft of rules that are, to this day, still referred to as the Michuki rules which included speed governors and seatbelts.
It was also during his tenure that the 'no excess passenger' rule was properly implemented making the roads safer that they had been in history. A fight between the matatu owners, cartels and the state ensued but he declined to back down. Not even after transport was paralysed after the saccos withdrew their vehicles from the road.
“Some of the matatu owners were expecting that I would soften. We have been enslaved by these matatus. We want to get out of this, and we must get out once and for all," he stated at the time.
After much fanfare, he was moved to the even more powerful Ministry of Internal Security and once again fought Mungiki, which was giving Mt Kenya residents sleepless nights and was expanding to towns and cities, with vigour.
In the Ministry of Environment, he is remembered for his efforts to rehabilitate the Nairobi River - the cleanest water levels in recent times were achieved during his reign.
Away from the office, he also commandeered his businesses and built the luxurious Windsor Golf and Country Club. He also
His family is, however, embroiled in a court battle over the management of the estate with one of his daughters, Yvonne Wanja, arguing that it was being mismanaged.
She argued that that their company, Nairobi Hotels Limited, had accrued debts under the management of her sister Anne Mutahi and brother Fred Chege. She is seeking to get her share of Ksh1 billion.
Michuki passed away in February 2012 of a heart attack. He was receiving treatment at he Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi.
