Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka (born 24 December 195

is a Kenyan politician who was the tenth

Vice-President of Kenya The deputy president of the Republic of Kenya ( Swahili: ''Naibu Rais wa Jamhuri ya Kenya'') is the principal assistant of the President of the Republic of Kenya. History Prior to the 2010 Constitution of Kenya, the deputy president was know ...

from 2008 to 2013. Musyoka served in the government under the late President

Daniel arap Moi Daniel Toroitich arap Moi ( ; 2 September 1924 – 4 February 2020) was a Kenyan politician who served as the second president of Kenya from 1978 to 2002. He was the country's longest-serving president. Moi previously served as the third vice ...

and was

Minister for Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between coun ...

from 1993 until 1998; subsequently, under the late President

Mwai Kibaki Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki (15 November 1931 – 21 April 2022) was a Kenyan politician who served as the third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013 and is regarded as one of Kenya's founding fathers. He had previously ser ...

, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs again from 2003 to 2004, then Minister of the Environment from 2004 to 2005. He was an unsuccessful candidate in the

2007 presidential election This electoral calendar 2007 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2007 in the de jure and de facto sovereign states and their dependent territories. Referendums are included, although they are not elections. By-elections are not i ...

, after which he was appointed vice-president by Kibaki in January 2008. Kalonzo Musyoka is the party leader of the

Wiper Democratic Movement Wiper may refer to: * Windscreen wiper * Wiper, a Pakistani English term for a squeegee * Wiper (occupation), a cleaner in the engine room of a ship * wiper (malware), a type of malware * Wiper, a term for a hybrid striped bass * Wiper, a t ...

(formerly

Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

). He also serves as Chief Commissioner for

The Kenya Scouts Association The Kenya Scouts Association is the national Scouting association of Kenya. Scouting was founded in British East Africa in 1910 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1964. It has 323,929 members (as of 2010). His ...

Early life and education

He was born i
Tseikuru
in a remote part of

Mwingi District Mwingi District was a former district of Kenya, located in the now defunct Eastern Province. The district had a population of 303.828 (1999 census). Its capital was Mwingi town. Local people are mostly of the Akamba tribe. North of Mwingi town, ...

(then part of

Kitui District Kitui County is a county in the former Eastern Province of Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Kitui, although Mwingi is also another major urban centre. The county has a population of 1,136,187 (2019 census). and an area of 30,430 km2. ...

) in Kenya's Eastern Province. Between 1960 and 1967 he studied at Tseikuru Full Primary School to attain basic education. Then he went to Kitui High School in

Kitui Kitui is a town and capital of Kitui County in Kenya, 180 kilometres east of Nairobi and 105 kilometres east of Machakos. it covers an area approximately 30,496.4 km squares and lies between latitudes 0°10 South and 3°0 South and longitudes ...

for the ordinary level and eventually to Meru School in

Meru Meru may refer to: Geography Kenya * Meru, Kenya, a city in Meru County, Kenya ** Meru County, created by the merger of *** Meru Central District *** Meru North District *** Meru South District * Meru National Park, a Kenyan wildlife park Tanza ...

from where he graduated in the advanced level in 1973. Kalonzo Musyoka graduated with a Bachelor of Law degree from the

University of Nairobi , mottoeng = In unity and work , image = Uon emblem.gif , image_size = 210px , caption = Coat of Arms of the University , type = Public , endowment ...

in 1977. He continued further studies at the

Kenya School of Law The Kenya School of Law (KSL) is the only bar school in Kenya. After completing an undergraduate degree in law from a recognized university, students attend the Kenya School of Law to prepare for admission to the Kenyan Bar. History The Kenya ...

in 1978 where he was awarded a Post graduate diploma in Law. In 1979, he attended th
Mediterranean Institute of Management
in

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

where he earned a post graduate Diploma in Business.Daily Natio
Profile of Kalonzo Musyoka
In 2009, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in divinity among other 17 beneficiaries at the Charter hall in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

. This was one of the "honorary professorships and doctorate degrees" that were issued by Professor Clyde Rivers, the International Commissioner of th
Latin University of Theology
based in

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

.
On 19 December 2008, Kalonzo Musyoka was honoured with a Doctorate in Humane Letters (

honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

) in recognition of his achievements in peace making, conflict resolution efforts, sustainable community development and humanistic ideals by

Kenyatta University Kenyatta University (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Nairobi County, Kenya. It acquired the status of university in 1985, being the third university after University of Nairobi (1970) and Moi University (1984). As of O ...

during its 25th graduation. Named African Dignitary Man of the year 2016.

Political career

Musyoka vied for the Kitui North Constituency parliamentary seat in 1983, but was defeated. At that time, Kenya was one-party state and the only party fielding candidates was

Kenya African National Union The Kenya African National Union (KANU) is a Kenyan political party that ruled for nearly 40 years after Kenya's independence from British colonial rule in 1963 until its electoral loss in 2002. It was known as Kenya African Union (KAU) from 194 ...

(KANU). However, only two years later, in 1985 the Kitui North seat was vacated and Musyoka won subsequent by-elections, thus becoming an MP at the age of 32. In 1986 he was appointed Assistant Minister for Works, Housing and Physical Planning, serving until 1988. He was re-elected at the 1988 parliamentary elections and served as Deputy Speaker of the National assembly from 1988 to 1992. He was also KANU's National Organizing Secretary from 1988 to 2002.

1992–1997 Kenyan Parliament

Kenya's first multiparty elections were held in 1992. Musyoka stayed in KANU, renewed his parliamentary position and was appointed as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He also held couple of other ministerial positions while part of the KANU government. In June 1993, he addressed the

World Conference on Human Rights The World Conference on Human Rights was held by the United Nations in Vienna, Austria, on 14 to 25 June 1993. It was the first human rights conference held since the end of the Cold War. The main result of the conference was the Vienna Declaratio ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

which was the first human rights conference held since the end of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. He termed the illicit mineral trade which fuels and finances what he called 'the cause of incessant conflicts, environmental degradation but ultimately and sadly too, poverty'. The

Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) is a human rights declaration adopted by consensus at the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993 in Vienna, Austria. The position of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Righ ...

was the major result from this meeting after the participants reached a consensus.

1997–2002 Kenyan Parliament

He was again elected to the parliament at the 1997 elections, but now from

Mwingi North Constituency Mwingi North Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of eight constituencies in Kitui County. It used to be one of two constituencies in Mwingi District. The constituency was established for the 1997 elections. The immediate f ...

, since his former constituency Kitui North was split into new constituencies.

2002–2007 Kenyan Parliament

In the months leading up to the 2002 general election, under the leadership of then KANU secretary general,

Raila Odinga Raila Amolo Odinga (born 7 January 1945) is a Kenyan politician, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata and businessman who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He is assumed to be the Leader of Opposition in Kenya sin ...

, he decamped from KANU to join the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as a founding member under the banner of the

National Rainbow Coalition The National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) is a political party in Kenya. As an alliance, it was in power from 2002 and 2005 when it collapsed due to disagreements between members over a constitutional referendum. Formation In preparation of the 2002 ...

, which went on to win the general elections. On 1 December 2003, as the Minister for home affairs and international co-operation for

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, he welcomed the people to this meeting, whose theme was Strengthening the role of IGAD in regional peace initiatives and post conflict reconstruction on behalf of the republic of Kenya and thanked the Danish government,

IGAD The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa. It includes governments from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the African Great Lakes. It is headquartered in Djibouti (city), Djibouti. Member s ...

Secretariat and the ISS on behalf of the IGAD Member States for their preparations and funding of the meeting. Kalonzo Musyoka was involved in the Sudan peace process between 1993 and 1997 and he was part of the team that reconstituted the draft establishing IGAD in 1995. Musyoka became Minister for Foreign Affairs for a second time under President

, but in a cabinet reshuffle on 30 June 2004 he was moved to the post of Minister for Environment. In late August 2004, he was additionally removed from his position as chairman of the Sudanese and Somali peace talks and was replaced by John Koech. Musyoka was reportedly unhappy with President Kibaki's refusal to honour a pre-election ''Memorandum of understanding'' (MOU) which they had signed with the president's party

NAK In data networking, telecommunications, and computer buses, an acknowledgment (ACK) is a signal that is passed between communicating processes, computers, or devices to signify acknowledgment, or receipt of message, as part of a communicatio ...

. He was one of the leaders of the successful "No"-campaign in the November 2005 referendum on the proposed new constitution. Following the referendum, he was dismissed from the Cabinet.Patrick Nzioka
"Kenya: Kalonzo Miracle Taking Shape"
''The Nation'' (allAfrica.com), 9 January 2008. Subsequently, Kalonzo Musyoka decamped Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) into the little-known Labor Party of Kenya. Kalonzo Musyoka was widely expected to vie for the presidency in the December 2007 election. Musyoka campaigned for the ODM-Kenya ticket, facing a number of other contenders. His rating for December 2007 election steadily dropped, and political analysts wondered whether he would make a significant impact. His relationship with fellow ODM-Kenya leader

, who was also after the ODM-Kenya presidential ticket, was the subject of much speculation. Many observers questioned whether the presidential hopefuls of ODM-Kenya, particularly Raila and Musyoka, could unite to support one common candidate for the general election. The ODM-Kenya split into two factions, one gathered around Musyoka and the other around Odinga, in August 2007. Musyoka was elected by his faction as its presidential candidate on 31 August 2007,Eric Shimoli and Dave Opiyo
"Kenya: Kalonzo Picked to Hoist ODM-K Flag"
''The Nation'' (allAfrica.com), 1 September 2007. receiving 2,835 votes in a secret ballot against Julia Ojiambo, who received 791 votes. Musyoka has been quoted as saying "... the war against poverty could not be won unless environmental issues were addressed." Musyoka launched his

presidential campaign President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Uhuru Park Uhuru Park is a 12.9 hectare recreational park adjacent to the central business district of Nairobi, Kenya. It was opened to the general public by the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on 23 May 1969. It contains an artificial lake, several national monume ...

in Nairobi on 14 October 2007. This move was criticised by those who saw him as a traitor to the ODM party of Raila Odinga. December 2007 polls put Odinga ahead and Kibaki following closely, Kalonzo however said that "atapitia katikati" (passing between two people).

After 2007

Kalonzo Musyoka Greeting People in Mombasa

According to official results, Musyoka placed a distant third behind Kibaki and Odinga with 9% of the vote. Amid a violent crisis over the results, with supporters of Odinga disputing the outcome, Kibaki appointed Musyoka as vice-president and Minister of Home Affairs on 8 January 2008. Musyoka expressed gratitude to Kibaki and, referring to the ongoing dispute and violence, said that he was "intensely aware that the appointment has come at a difficult time when our nation is going through a painful moment". He took office as vice-president on 9 January. Vice President of Kenya (7886399918)

The political crisis eventually led to the signing of a power-sharing agreement between Kibaki and Odinga. In the Grand Coalition Cabinet that was announced on 13 April 2008, Musyoka remained vice-president and Minister of Home Affairs. In 2010 Musyoka supported the draft constitution in the campaign for 4 August referendum but Members of the campaign team opposing the draft constitution claimed that he was secretly opposing the draft leading to a satirical comparison of Musyoka to a

watermelon Watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varieti ...

which is naturally green outside and red inside, the team supporting the draft constitution was represented by color green while the team opposing the draft constitution was represented by the color red hence the "green team" and the "red team", Musyoka's nickname watermelon was because of his alleged open support for the green team and secret support for the red team. Most of the opposition of the draft constitution were the clergy.

2013 Elections

In the race for the 4th president of Kenya, Kalonzo Musyoka joined his longtime political opponent

to form the

Coalition for Reforms and Democracy The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy was a coalition of multiple political parties, built around the triumvirate of Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, and Moses Wetangula, to contest the Kenya general elections of 2013. The members of the coalit ...

(CORD) with Musyoka shelving his presidential ambition to run as Odinga's

running mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint Ticket (election), ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate ...

. When the first round of the presidential election took place on 4 March 2013,

Uhuru Kenyatta Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. Kenyatta was chosen by Daniel Arap Moi as his preferred successor, but Kenyatta was defeated by opposition le ...

was declared the

president-elect An ''officer-elect'' is a person who has been elected to a position but has not yet been installed. Notably, a president who has been elected but not yet installed would be referred to as a ''president-elect'' (e.g. president-elect of the Unit ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

by the

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in the year 2011 through the making of the Constitution of Kenya. The Commission is responsible for conducting or supervising refer ...

challenged this in the

Supreme Court of Kenya The Supreme Court of Kenya is the Supreme court, highest court in Kenya. It is established under Article 163 of the constitution of Kenya, Kenyan Constitution. As the highest court in the nation, its decisions are binding and set precedent on all ...

. Questions were raised why Musyoka was not a petitioner in the case. After the Supreme Court dismissed the CORD Petition, he left office when the President-elect,

, was sworn in.

2017 Elections

For the 2017 general election, Musyoka once again joined Raila Odinga to form the

National Super Alliance The National Super Alliance, known by the abbreviation NASA, was a Kenyan political coalition This is a list of political groups by country. A political group also known as a political alliance, coalition or bloc, is cooperation by members of d ...

to oppose president Kenyatta and deputy president

William Ruto William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto (born 21 December 1966) is a Kenyan politician who is serving as the fifth and current president of Kenya since 13 September 2022. Prior to becoming president, he served as the 11th deputy president of Ken ...

. Musyoka then ran under Odinga as his running mate.

2022 Elections

In the 2022 elections, Musyoka announced that he would vie for presidency; he however dropped his presidential bid and supported Azimio la Umoja candidate

Other responsibilities

Dr Kalonzo Musyoka has, since 10 June 2013, served as the

University Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor is ...

of the Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU), a privately owned university in

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

, based in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

, that country's

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

and largest city. In July 2019, Dr Kalonzo Musyoka was appointed by President

as a special envoy to the republic of

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...

. In February 2020, he was able to broker a peace deal in

between President

Salva Kiir Salva (Latin for "Save") may refer to: People *Francisco Salva Campillo (1751-1828), Spanish scientist * Ramon d'Salva (born 1921), Filipino actor * Héctor Salva (1939-2015), Uruguayan football midfielder *Salva Kiir Mayardit (born 1951), South ...

and former rebel leader

Riek Machar Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon (born 26 November 1952) is a South Sudanese politician who serves as the First Vice President of South Sudan. Political life In February 2020, Machar was re-sworn in as first vice president following a revitalised ...

. The deal saw the two form a unity government.

Personal life

Kalonzo Musyoka is married to Pauline. They have four children. He was baptised by Pastor Masila Munyoki. He is the patron of the Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation and he has served since 2006.

References

External links

*
Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka addresses graduates at South Eastern Kenya University 1st graduation ceremony in Kitui County

Vice President's Profile

Kalonzo Musyoka
Profile, Biography & Timeline {{DEFAULTSORT:Musyoka, Kalonzo 1953 births Living people Vice-presidents of Kenya Government ministers of Kenya People from Kitui County Wiper Democratic Movement – Kenya politicians Kamba people National Rainbow Coalition politicians Kenya School of Law alumni Candidates for President of Kenya Kenya African National Union politicians Leaders of political parties in Kenya Kenyan political party founders