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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 Sifuna’s dream and the perils of Khalwale’s 'loose tongue'

    Mr Khalwale said Luhyas are known in Nairobi as cooks, watchmen, janitors, caretakers and housemaids.

  2. PREMIUM Unease as ODM demands DP slot, 50pc share of State posts

    Multiple sources say ODM Deputy Party Leader Simba Arati kicked up a storm, to the chagrin of some UDA delegates

    Simba Arati.
  3. PREMIUM Mudavadi, Wetang’ula move to check Sifuna’s influence in Western

    They dismiss Sifuna’s presidential bid saying presidency requires years of political experience.

    Moses Wetang'ula
  4. Kindiki to his home turf: My DP position is safe

    Deputy President terms claims of being sidelined as 'common talk' in politics.

    Kithure Kindiki
  5. PREMIUM Political rejects face diplomatic posting limits in new proposed law

    Bill pushes for merit-based envoy posts.

    Finance Bill
  6. PREMIUM Zero sum game: Biggest losers in Sifuna’s rise

    The 44-year-old has taken the country’s political landscape by storm.

    DNKsmMwananchi0307(66)
  7. PREMIUM Court rules on Sh50m Mudavadi office tender row

    'Allowing public entities to avoid scrutiny...would undermine accountability.' - Judge

    Nation inside - 2026-07-28T083142.999
  8. PREMIUM Sifuna storm: Why Nairobi senator is disruptor-in-chief of Ruto plans

    Neither President Ruto's camp nor members of the United Opposition are sitting easy.

    Linda Mwananchi rally
  9. PREMIUM One bad tweet could cost you a foreign scholarship, warns Mudavadi

    'We are seeing young people being denied an opportunity to further their ambitions...'

    Musalia Mudavadi
  10. PREMIUM Tower of Babel rising? Mushrooming parties expose "Luhya unity" cracks

    Political analysts say the proliferation of parties reflects vibrancy and persistent disunity that has characterised Luhya politics.

    DnEldNatembeya2605r
  11. PREMIUM Infotrak: Kindiki most preferred to be Ruto's 2027 running mate

    Prof Kindiki enjoys the highest support in regions where other potential candidates are considered politically influential.

    Kithure Kindiki
  12. PREMIUM Mudavadi 'missing in action' as battle for Ruto running mate intensifies

    Since June, the Prime Cabinet Secretary has largely stayed away from active local politics.

    Musalia Mudavadi
  13. PREMIUM Battle of the running mates in Ruto, Gachagua opposition camps

    The search for an ideal running mate is emerging as one of the defining political calculations ahead of the 2027 General Election.

    New Content Item (1)
  14. PREMIUM Inside Natembeya-Sifuna-Wamalwa tag team to lock Ruto out of Western

    Mr Natembeya says the opposition seeks to end 'ineffective leadership styles' of veteran politicians from the region.

    DnEldNatembeya2605r
  15. PREMIUM Ruto and opposition scramble for Western’s 3.2m vote basket

    Internal rifts are deepening among pro-government politicians.

    opposition
  16. PREMIUM Ruto fires back at opposition over promises to Western region

    'All they think about is nicknaming me Kasongo; they are low-class people. '

  17. PREMIUM Western leaders push for Mudavadi, Wetangula as Ruto's running mate

    The Naivasha declaration further complicates President Ruto's choice of a running mate.

  18. PREMIUM Kenya still caught up in Russia’s expanding mercenary drive

    291 Kenyans have been ensnared, with at least 19 confirmed dead.

    New Content Item (2)
  19. PREMIUM Kenya risks US sanctions on recruits to Russia-Ukraine war

    Proposed bipartisan US legislation seeks harsh penalties for those recruiting desperate Africans to fight in Russia-Ukraine war.

  20. PREMIUM Mudavadi: We have no money for stranded Kenyans abroad

    Government admits funding crisis in protecting Kenyans abroad.

    Musalia Mudavadi