Kalonzo Musyoka
Kenyan Parliament | |
---|---|
In office 6 July 1985 – 28 March 2013 | |
Preceded by | Philip Manandu |
Succeeded by | John Munuve |
Constituency | Kitui North (1985–1997) Mwingi North (1997–2013) |
Personal details | |
Born | Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka 24 December 1953 Tseikuru, KSA |
Website | www |
Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka (born 24 December 1953)
Kalonzo Musyoka is the party leader of the
Early life and education
He was born in Tseikuru, in a remote part of Mwingi District (then part of Kitui District) 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 for the ordinary level and eventually to Meru School in Meru from where he graduated in the advanced level in 1973. Kalonzo Musyoka graduated with a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Nairobi in 1977. He continued further studies at the Kenya School of Law in 1978 where he was awarded a Post graduate diploma in Law. In 1979, he attended the Mediterranean Institute of Management in Cyprus where he earned a post graduate Diploma in Business.[4]
In 2009, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in divinity among other 17 beneficiaries at the Charter hall in
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 (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[8] 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 in Austria which was the first human rights conference held since the end of the Cold War. 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'.[9] The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action was the major result from this meeting after the participants reached a consensus.[10]
1997–2002 Kenyan Parliament
He was again elected to the parliament at the 1997 elections, but now from Mwingi North Constituency, since his former constituency Kitui North was split into new constituencies.[11]
2002–2007 Kenyan Parliament
In the months leading up to the 2002 general election, under the leadership of then KANU secretary general, Raila Odinga, he decamped from KANU to join the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as a founding member under the banner of the National Rainbow Coalition, which went on to win the general elections.
On 1 December 2003, as the Minister for home affairs and international co-operation for Kenya, 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 Secretariat and the ISS on behalf of the[12] 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
Subsequently, Kalonzo Musyoka decamped Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) into the little-known Labor Party of Kenya.[15]
Kalonzo Musyoka was widely expected to vie for the presidency in the
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,[16][17] receiving 2,835 votes in a secret ballot against Julia Ojiambo, who received 791 votes.[17]
Musyoka has been quoted as saying "... the war against poverty could not be won unless environmental issues were addressed."[18]
Musyoka launched his
After 2007
According to official results, Musyoka placed a distant third behind Kibaki and Odinga with 9% of the vote.
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.[22][23]
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 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.[24] 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 Raila Odinga to form the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) with Musyoka shelving his presidential ambition to run as Odinga's running mate.[25][26]
When the first round of the presidential election took place on 4 March 2013,
After the Supreme Court dismissed the
2017 Elections
For the 2017 general election, Musyoka once again joined Raila Odinga to form the National Super Alliance to oppose president Kenyatta and deputy president William Ruto.[27] Musyoka then ran under Odinga as his running mate.[28]
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 Raila Odinga.[29]
Other responsibilities
Dr Kalonzo Musyoka has, since 10 June 2013, served as the University Chancellor of the Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU), a privately owned university in Uganda, based in Kampala, that country's capital and largest city.[30]
In July 2019, Dr Kalonzo Musyoka was appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta as a special envoy to the republic of South Sudan.[31] In February 2020, he was able to broker a peace deal in South Sudan between President Salva Kiir and former rebel leader Riek Machar.[32] The deal saw the two form a unity government.[33]
Personal life
Kalonzo Musyoka is married to Pauline. They have four children. He was baptised by Pastor Masila Munyoki.[4] He is the patron of the Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation and he has served since 2006.[34]
References
- ^ "Kalonzo Musyoka". Nation. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2006. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Vice President Pres Service. "Kalonzo hails scouts for supporting tourism". Standard Group Limited. Retrieved 27 April 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Daily Nation Profile of Kalonzo Musyoka Archived 17 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ SAMUEL, OTIENO; JIBRIL ADAN. "US varsity floods Kenya with PhDs". Retrieved 26 April 2012.
- ^ "KU Honours Eminent Persons" (PDF). Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Kenyatta University. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
- ^ Kajilwa, Graham. "Wiper party celebrates Kalonzo Musyoka's prize". The Standard. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- ^ "Office of the Vice President". Retrieved 19 April 2012.
- ^ Deborah Eade and Morna Macleod. "Women and armed conflict: from victims to activists". State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2011. Archived from the original on 10 January 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
- ISBN 1588262804.
- ^ Center for Multiparty Democracy: Politics and Parliamentarians in Kenya 1944–2007 Archived 28 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF IGAD IN REGIONAL PEACE INITIATIVES AND POST CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION". Institute of Security Studies. Archived from the original on 12 October 2006. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
- ^ "Kenyan Kalonzo removed from Somali and Soudanese peace talks role", The Nation (sudantribune.com), 27 August 2004.
- ^ a b Patrick Nzioka, "Kenya: Kalonzo Miracle Taking Shape", The Nation (allAfrica.com), 9 January 2008.
- ^ AMADALA, BENSON. "Kenya: Rivals Now Plan to Register New ODM". All Africa News. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ Malcolm Webb, "Kenya's Opposition Chooses Presidential Candidate", VOA News, 31 August 2007.
- ^ a b Eric Shimoli and Dave Opiyo, "Kenya: Kalonzo Picked to Hoist ODM-K Flag", The Nation (allAfrica.com), 1 September 2007.
- ^ "Youtube". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ Page on 2007 results Archived 5 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine at Office of the Government Spokesman.
- ^ "Kenya: Kibaki Names Cabinet", The East African Standard (allAfrica.com), 8 January 2008.
- ^ Mutinda Mwanzia, "Kenya: Awori Hands Over to Kalonzo", The East African Standard (allAfrica.com), 10 January 2008.
- ^ "Kenya unveils coalition cabinet", BBC News, 13 April 2008.
- ^ Anthony Kariuki, "Kibaki names Raila PM in new Cabinet"[permanent dead link], nationmedia.com, 13 April 2008.
- ^ Kikechi, Biketi. "'No' strategy rattles 'Yes'". Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ Mosoku, Geoffrey. "Raila, Kalonzo seal deal as Mudavadi joins Uhuru, Ruto". Standard Media Group. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ NAMUNANE, BERNARD. "Raila and Kalonzo finally sign deal". Daily Nation. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ Ngetich, Jacob. "Super alliance will be ready by December to send Uhuru home, Opposition leaders vow". The Standard. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ AfricaNews (17 May 2022). "Kenya: Raila Odinga's coalition loses ally". Africanews. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Kalonzo Musyoka: I pledge my unequivocal support for Raila Odinga". standardmedia. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ Nabatanzi, Sauda (26 July 2017). "Kalonzo Musyoka's tenure as UTAMU chancellor extended". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- ^ "Uhuru appoints Kalonzo Musyoka Special Envoy to South Sudan". Citizentv.co.ke. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ "Peace talks: South Sudan commends Kalonzo". Daily Nation. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ "New impasse hits South Sudan peace talks". BBC News. 16 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ "About us – Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation". kalonzomusyokafoundation.org. 2012. Archived from the original on 18 November 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
External links
- Vice President's Profile
- Kalonzo Musyoka- Profile, Biography & Timeline