32 Facts About Kalonzo Musyoka

Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka was born on 24 December 1953 and is a Kenyan politician who was the tenth Vice-President of Kenya from 2008 to 2013.

Kalonzo Musyoka was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2007 presidential election, after which he was appointed vice-president by Kibaki in January 2008.

Kalonzo Musyoka is the party leader of the Wiper Democratic Movement.

Kalonzo Musyoka serves as Chief Commissioner for The Kenya Scouts Association.

Kalonzo Musyoka was born in Tseikuru, a remote part of Kitui District in British Kenya's then Southern Province.

Kalonzo Musyoka then attended Kitui High School in Kitui for the ordinary level and later joined Meru School in Meru, where he graduated at the advanced level in 1973.

Kalonzo Musyoka graduated with a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Nairobi in 1977.

Kalonzo Musyoka continued further studies at the Kenya School of Law in 1978 where he was awarded a Post graduate diploma in Law.

On 19 December 2008, Kalonzo Musyoka was honoured with a Doctorate in Humane Letters in recognition of his achievements in peace making, conflict resolution efforts, sustainable community development and humanistic ideals by Kenyatta University during its 25th graduation.

Kalonzo Musyoka vied for the Kitui North Constituency parliamentary seat in 1983, but was defeated.

However, only two years later, in 1985 the Kitui North seat was vacated and Kalonzo Musyoka won subsequent by-elections, thus becoming an MP at the age of 32.

Kalonzo Musyoka was re-elected at the 1988 parliamentary elections and served as Deputy Speaker of the National assembly from 1988 to 1992.

Kalonzo Musyoka was KANU's National Organizing Secretary from 1988 to 2002.

Kalonzo Musyoka stayed in KANU, renewed his parliamentary position and was appointed as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Kalonzo Musyoka held couple of other ministerial positions while part of the KANU government.

Kalonzo Musyoka 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.

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.

Kalonzo Musyoka became Minister for Foreign Affairs for a second time under President Mwai Kibaki, but in a cabinet reshuffle on 30 June 2004 he was moved to the post of Minister for Environment.

Kalonzo Musyoka was reportedly unhappy with President Kibaki's refusal to honour a pre-election Memorandum of understanding which they had signed with the president's party NAK.

Kalonzo Musyoka was one of the leaders of the successful "No"-campaign in the November 2005 referendum on the proposed new constitution.

Subsequently, Kalonzo Musyoka decamped Liberal Democratic Party into the little-known Labor Party of Kenya.

Kalonzo Musyoka was widely expected to vie for the presidency in the December 2007 election.

Kalonzo Musyoka campaigned for the ODM-Kenya ticket, facing a number of other contenders.

Many observers questioned whether the presidential hopefuls of ODM-Kenya, particularly Raila and Kalonzo Musyoka, could unite to support one common candidate for the general election.

Kalonzo Musyoka was elected by his faction as its presidential candidate on 31 August 2007, receiving 2,835 votes in a secret ballot against Julia Ojiambo, who received 791 votes.

Kalonzo Musyoka launched his presidential campaign at Uhuru Park in Nairobi on 14 October 2007.

December 2007 polls put Odinga ahead and Kibaki following closely, Kalonzo Musyoka however said that "atapitia katikati".

Kalonzo 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".

Questions were raised why Kalonzo Musyoka was not a petitioner in the case.

Dr Kalonzo Musyoka has, since 10 June 2013, served as the University Chancellor of the Uganda Technology and Management University, a privately owned university in Uganda, based in Kampala, that country's capital and largest city.

In July 2019, Dr Kalonzo Musyoka was appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta as a special envoy to the republic of South Sudan.

Kalonzo Musyoka is the patron of the Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation and he has served since 2006.