Previously, Kenyatta had always been broke. I remember when he came out of prison and found his house demolished by the British Government, he asked us if we could find some money to help him build a simple garage to live in. We had previously raised small amounts from donations, but things were always tight. After meeting Bruce, however, Kenyatta was mysteriously never short of cash.

I thought this was fantastic, as previously I used to drive out to Gatundu in my 1938 Morris 8 to pick up Kenyatta, or he would wait for a bus or matatu into town and then walk everywhere.

“No, no,” he said. “You are thinking like the Wahindis, that only Indians can drive around in big, big cars. These cars have been given to me and I think I must keep them. In any case, you know, I want you to realise one thing. Africans only respect a man with a lot of mali (wealth). If he is a poor man, they will think he is useless. You have to have a lot of hangers-on and your youth wingers going with you, and a lot of cows, houses, etc, then they’ll think, ‘Ah, he is a great leader”.’

I was a bit shocked by this, but then realised it was true. Some time later, talking to a Luo gardener of mine, I mentioned that I believed Odinga was not well off.

“No, no,” he replied. “Odinga is very, very rich, richer than Kenyatta. He has a lot of money.”