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Musalia Mudavadi

DATE OF BIRTH


September 21, 1960

GENDER


Male

OCCUPATION


Politician, Land economist

FAMILY


Married to Tessy Musalia with three children

BIOGRAPHY


Education: Early learning at Nairobi Primary School, then Jamhuri and Nairobi School for his A-levels before proceeding to the University of Nairobi for his Bachelor of Arts (Land Economics) degree.

Political career: Mr Mudavadi, who is Kenya’s 7th Vice President (VP), was first elected an MP in 1989 after the death of his father, Mr Moses Mudavadi. He was elected uno

pposed in Sabatia constituency and went on to be re-elected in 1992, 1997, and 2007.

Soon after, he was appointed Minister of Supplies and Marketing until 1992 when he was elevated to Ministry of Finance between 1993 and 1997. He has also served as Minister for Agriculture, and Transport and Communication between 2001 and 2002 when he was appointed to the office of VP.

He served three months in the office of the Vice President, the shortest sting in Kenyan history.

He was appointed VP in October 2002 to replace the late George Saitoti, who Moi had sacked in a succession war after he chose Mr Uhuru Kenyatta as his successor. Mr Mudavadi was Mr Kenyatta's running mate in the 2002 general election. He ended up losing that bid as well as his Sabatia Parliamentary seat.

Mr Mudavadi made a come back in 2005 during the campaigns for the new Constitution. He joined the NO camp that was opposed to the draft that the Kibaki government had proposed. The camp emerged winners of the referendum. In the 2007 presidential election, Mr Mudavadi was Mr Odinga’s running mate, but again they lost to late former President Mwai Kibaki. 

He was a member of the national reconciliation team that negotiated for peace after the bloody events of the 2007/08 post-election violence and was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local government in the Grand coalition government of 2008/13.

He defected from ODM to his United Democratic Forum (UDF) through which he contested the 2013 presidential race, coming third. 

He severed ties with UDF to form Amani National Congress (ANC) in 2015. ANC was part of the five political parties that merged in 2017 to form the National Super Alliance (Nasa) which fronted Mr Raila Odinga as its presidential candidate. Nasa lost to Jubilee in the election held on August 8, 2017 but the Supreme Court nullified the outcome due to irregularities.

In January 2022, he joined hands with DP William Ruto to form the Kenya Kwanza Alliance ahead of the 2022 general elections.


Latest articles on Musalia Mudavadi:

  1. PREMIUM Uncertainty surrounds Sh80bn Nairobi cooperation deal

    Senators flag gaps in implementation mechanisms, unclear roles for each party and vague provisions in the deal.

    Johnson Sakaja
  2. PREMIUM Wetang’ula’s Ford Kenya to Ruto’s UDA: We will not fold despite the blackmail

    Ford Kenya has described the demand by UDA as a betrayal of partnership.

    Moses Wetang'ula and William Ruto
  3. PREMIUM MPs block Mudavadi’s Sh280m office upgrade

    Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary defends spending plan, saying it is crucial to accord it the status it deserves.

    Musalia Mudavadi
  4. PREMIUM Job scam crisis: 0ver 100 Kenyans trapped in Myanmar, 39 jailed

    Foreign ministry says dozens remain caught up in legal and humanitarian distress.

  5. Middle East crisis: Immigration seeks Sh400m to repatriate Kenyans

    Diaspora department says 15 Kenyans have been evacuated from Iran via Turkey.

    2026-02-28T074438Z_1428409374_RC2VUJA9KDIB_RTRMADP_3_IRAN-CRISIS-BLAST
  6. Mudavadi in Moscow: Kenyans will no longer fight for Russia

    Mudavadi held talks with Russian FM Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shakes hands with Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi
  7. African nations tiptoe around recruitment of citizens by Russian networks

    Recruits are often misled by third-party agencies about civilian jobs, ending up in active combat zones.

    Smoke rises from a Russian tank in UKraine
  8. PREMIUM MPs block Sh1bn extra funding for Mudavadi office renovations

    Lawmakers cap recurrent budget for the office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary at Sh827.6 million for the 2026/27 financial year.

  9. PREMIUM Kaltum Guyo: State bears heavier blame for Kenyans in Russia war

    The government has made its own people vulnerable by encouraging them to look for work abroad.

    Clinton Nyapara Mogesa
  10. PREMIUM Sifuna, Orengo camp takes Kakamega by storm

    'We cannot allow them to kill Raila Odinga’s party; the MoU did not include these coalitions.' — James Orengo

    WhatsApp Image 2026-02-21 at 14.00.38
  11. PREMIUM MCAs ask hard questions on Sakaja, Ruto cooperation deal

    MCAs say they are yet to be clearly briefed on their place within the new structure.

    Johnson Sakaja
  12. PREMIUM Gachagua ouster fight spotlights Kenya Kwanza’s shareholding deal

    Court filings expose underlying governance structure of Kenya Kwanza.

    Rigathi Gachagua
  13. PREMIUM Kenya confronts Russia over illegal military recruitment of its nationals

    Nairobi's foreign affairs minister is scheduled to travel to Moscow for high-level labour talks.

  14. PREMIUM Kenya, India to negotiate trade deal

    Kenya is elevating ties with its largest business partners worldwide.

  15. PREMIUM Too little too late, UDA says after court nullifies ‘merger’ with ANC

    Issa Timamy maintains former Musalia Mudavadi-led party underwent voluntary dissolution.

    William Ruto and Musalia Mudavadi
  16. PREMIUM Court reinstates Mudavadi’s ANC, voids UDA merger and asset transfer

    ANC had dissolved in January 2025 and merged with President Ruto’s UDA.

    Musalia Mudavadi and Dr William Ruto
  17. PREMIUM Bob Wekesa: Trends that will shape Kenya’s foreign and diplomatic affairs

    In 2025 the foreign policy decisions of the US prompted reactions, responses, and calculations from Nairobi.

  18. PREMIUM Top political leaders’ hopes, dreams for 2026

    Gachagua delivered one of the harshest indictments yet of the Kenya Kwanza administration.

  19. PREMIUM Uhuru to Ruto: Being retired doesn’t allow you to poke me in the eye

    The former president refuted claims he wants to buy the Orange Party.

  20. PREMIUM Musalia Mudavadi: Why a referendum is imperative

    As I stated a few days ago, a referendum moment is here, and it is inevitable.

    Ballot box