Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi is a prominent Kenyan politician and seasoned land economist who also serves as the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
Until October 2022, he was the Party Leader of the Amani National Congress (ANC), one of the founding political parties of the Kenya Kwanza alliance.
Mudavadi served as the 7th Vice President of Kenya and Minister for Local Government in 2002.
He later held the position of a Deputy Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012 when he launched his bid for the presidency in the 2013 election on a United Democratic Forum (UDF) party ticket.
Mudavadi finished third in the 2013 polls and joined forces with other opposition parties to keep the government in check.
Young Minister Who Won National Recognition
Musalia Mudavadi has held key ministerial positions across several administrations, serving under three Kenyan Presidents.
In 1989, he made history by becoming the youngest minister ever appointed in Kenya at the age of 28, a role bestowed upon him by the late Second President, Daniel Arap Moi.
Throughout his distinguished career, Mudavadi has achieved remarkable milestones, including being the only Cabinet Secretary to hold concurrent portfolios across multiple ministries in the Kenya Kwanza administration.
He is regarded as one of Kenya’s most impactful Finance Ministers in some quarters, with contributions to national economic policies that continue to shape the country’s development trajectory.
With extensive experience at the helm of various Cabinet ministerial dockets, Musalia Mudavadi has also served as the Member of Parliament for the Sabatia Constituency from 1989 to 2002 and again from 2007 to 2013.
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Over the course of 19 years as a Cabinet Minister, he has served in the ministries of Finance, Agriculture, Transport, Information and Communication, Local Government, and Foreign Parliamentary Affairs.
Ministerial Roles Mudavadi Has Held
Musalia Mudavadi’s career is marked by significant accomplishments in various government roles, starting as Minister for Supplies and Marketing from 1989 to 1992.
During this time, he abolished movement permits for grain and expanded storage facilities to bolster food security.
When he took over the Finance docket in 1993, the economy was in an alarming position, with reports indicating that there was excess money circulating in the country and the government had borrowed too much from the local market.
He also brought inflation down from 50% to single digits and introduced key tax reforms by establishing the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
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In 1998, Mudavadi became Minister of Agriculture, where he enacted the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Act, granting local farmers ownership of tea factories.
From 1999 to 2002, as Minister of Information, Transport, and Communication, he championed the liberalization of Kenya’s communications sector.
This led to the licensing of mobile companies like Safaricom and Celtel (now Airtel), which transformed mobile communication in Kenya and expanded press freedoms by licensing more radio stations.
Political Journey
Mudavadi has been in the political scene for the last 34 years from 1989 to 1989-2002.
The former Vice President played key roles in the Independence party (KANU) in the 1990s – including serving as the KANU Chairman, Kakamega Branch, and later in 2002 as the Kanu National Vice-Chairman.
He was the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s running mate in the 2007 election.
In 2008, Mudavadi played a pivotal role as Chairman and Chief ODM negotiator in Kenya’s Post-Election National Accord, working alongside former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Tanzania’s former President Benjamin Mkapa, and South Africa’s First Lady Graça Machel.
He also served as the ODM Deputy Party Leader & Convener of Finance & Resource Mobilization Committee with the party enjoying the majority in parliament of 99 MPs against the then ruling PNU’s 43 MPs in 2008 and 2012.
Education
The Prime CS holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Land Economics (Hons.) from the University of Nairobi, which he graduated in 1984.
He is a member of the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (M.I.S.K) and a registered valuer (RV).
On December 9, 2022, Mudavadi received the honorary degree of Doctor of Honoris Causa in Peace and Sustainable Development from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.
Mudavadi is married to Tessie Mudavadi. They have three children: Moses, Michael and Maryanne.
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