POLITICAL LIFE OF KALONZO MUSYOKA

March 03, 2022

Born on 24th December 1953 is former vice president Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka.

Kalonzo joined active politics in the year 1983.Kalonzo vied for the Kitui North parliamentary seat but lost it by then Kenya was one party state KANU being the only umbrella under all who wanted seats vied in. 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.

Kalonzo was appointed assistant minister in the ministry of Work, Housing and physical planning in 1986 where he served till 1988.

He was re elected to parliament in 1988 where he also served as the deputy speaker of the national assembly upto 1992.From 1988 Kalonzo also served as KANU organising secretary to 2002.

In 1992 Kalonzo was appointed minister for foreign affairs and international cooperation.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'.[8conference 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'.[8] The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action was the major result from this meeting after the participants reached a consensus.The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action was the major result from this meeting after the participants reached a consensus.

Kalonzo was once again elected to parliament at the 1997 elections, but now from Mwingi North Constituency, since his former constituency Kitui North was split into new constituencies.

In 2002 Mr Kalonzo decamped from KANU to Liberal Democratic Party LDP which as a founding member under the banner of National Rainbow Coalition which later won the 2002 general elections.

In 2003 December 1st 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.

In a cabinet reshuffle on 30 June 2004 he was moved to the post of Minister for the Environment. 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.

In the year 2007 Kalonzo Musyoka launched his presidential campaign at Uhuru Park in Nairobi on 14 October. This move was criticised by those who saw him as a traitor to the ODM party of Raila Odinga. Kalonzo however said that "atapitia katikati" (passing between two people).

After the 2007 elections Kalonzo emerged third with 9percent of the total votes cast the vote.[18] Amid a violent crisis over the results, with supporters of Kibaki and Odinga disputing the outcome, Kibaki appointed Musyoka as Vice-President and Minister of Home Affairs on 8 January 2008.[19] 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".[13] He took office as Vice-President on 9 January.[20]

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka meeting the British Foreign Secretary William Hague in London, 29 August 2012

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.[21][22]

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.[23] Most of the opposition of the draft constitution were the clergy.

In 2013 Kalonzo joined his political friend Raila Odinga to form CORD where they lost the elections to President Uhuru Kenyatta.