You are going to resign, aren’t you? Njonjo asked after reshuffle

Far from persuading the President to sacrifice his tainted aides, John now heard rumours that he was the one about to be moved. On 29 June, he had his frankest ever exchange with Kiraitu. ‘He said it was now clear that Anglo Leasing was “us” – our people.

He said no matter what, he did not have what it took to order or countenance the arrest of Chris Murungaru for corruption because they had too much history. He was blunt and emotional,’ John wrote in his diary. ‘You are conducting the fight against corruption like a person burning down a house to kill a rat,’ Kiraitu admonished him.

John shrugged. ‘Killing rats is always a damaging business,’ he replied. The justice minister’s closing words were pointed. ‘Tomorrow,’ he warned, ‘is the kind of day reshuffles happen.’

And so it proved. The atmosphere in State House the following day was charged. Senior officials came and went, slipping quietly into the President’s office, exiting with hurried steps.

FINALLY, EVERYONE scrambled: the television cameras were ready. The President mounted the podium and prepared to announce his new Cabinet. In his office, John pulled up a seat alongside his staff and someone turned up the volume on the television. The names and titles rolled. No mention of John yet. On it went.

And then, at the end, with the very last name, it came: John Githongo was being transferred to the Ministry of Justice. The axe had fallen. John had lost his precious access to the President, the favoured status which had made it possible to bypass ministers.

He had lost Kibaki’s ear, and would now answer to a minister who had made his position on Anglo Leasing abundantly clear. There was a shocked silence. John looked at Lisa Karanja.

‘Well, that’s it, then.’ ‘They have won,’ said his secretary simply. Immediately, John’s mobile started buzzing with incoming text messages.

ONE CALL WAS FROM charles Njonjo, former attorney general, once Moi’s éminence grise, a man who knew what it was to fall from favour. His message was stiletto-sharp. ‘You ARE going to resign, aren’t you?’

There seemed no reason now to remain in State House, so the team decamped to John’s place, where arriving friends joined a spontaneous party.