He is the consummate politician. Astute. Calculating. Conniving. And, of late, a poor strategist. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka political journey was flagged off when he was only 32 years. The man known for being a strong Christian won the Kitui North parliamentary seat in 1985 and a year later was appointed as an assistant minister for Works, Housing and Physical Planning. He served in this position for two years. Kalonzo illustrious political career saw him serve as the Kenya African National Union (KANU) National organizing secretary, Foreign Affairs and International Affairs docket among other powerful cabinet position under former President Daniel arap Moi regime.
He was among the Moi’s court jesters who jumped ship from KANU in 2002 to join the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), under the umbrella of the National Rainbow Coalition. The coalition candidate Mwai Kibaki handed KANU candidate Uhuru Kenyatta a heavy defeat. He served in several cabinet positions under Mwai Kibaki before a bitter fallout in 2005 and was dismissed the same year for his participation in referendum on the proposed new constitution.
Musyoka went on to run for the presidency under the Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya party in the December 2007 general election. The man born 64 years ago today had famously vowed to ‘pitia katikati’ and he did just that. Unprecedented violence erupted following the announcement of Mwai Kibaki as the President. The country was on the brink and it provided Kalonzo the perfect opportunity to ‘pitia katikati yao’. Needing numbers, Mwai Kibaki appointed Kalonzo Musyoka as the tenth Vice President and Minister for Home Affairs.
The man from the hamlet of Tseikuru came to be known as a watermelon for his perceived support of the 2010 draft constitution during the day and opposing it during the night. This name has stuck to date. Kalonzo went on to play Raila Odinga’s deputy in the 2013 and 2017 presidential polls. They lost amid claims of vote rigging. Kalonzo has rebranded his Wiper Democratic Party to Okoa Kenya Movement.
What is the net worth of Kalonzo Musyoka?
Kalonzo Musyoka was not in the mad frenzy of amassing wealth when he served in the Moi’s regime-or so we thought. Those who were close to the then Head of State benefited from public land and corrupted their way to becoming billionaires.
During the run-up to the 2007 general elections, Kalonzo Musyoka declared his wealth to be a modest kes5 million. This was disputed by former Finance Minister Amos Kimunya who said Kalonzo was lying.
“Kalonzo is lying to himself. What he did was nothing close to public declaration of wealth. He should declare his wealth regardless of the names he has registered his properties under,” Kimunya said at the time.
Here is Kalonzo wealth declaration forms:
Two estates-kes29 million
Shares worth-Kes 278,000
Six motor vehicles-worth 6 million
Cash in bank
Income from his law farm
Of course Kalonzo wanted to portray himself as a man whose leadership is not characterized by greed.
Here is a list of properties owned by Kalonzo and a subject of a court case filed by Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua.
Yatta Farm-registered under Desiral Ltd, company registered under Kalonzo and his wife’s name Pauline Kalonzo
200 acres adjacent to Yatta Farm. Acquired when he served as vice president. Land reportedly belongs to the National Youth Service.
Alleged to have received kes350 million to join the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD).
Eurocopter Helicopter worth-200 million
Karen Home-Estimated at shs 800 million
Apartments in Nairobi
According to estimates given in some websites, Kalonzo worth is kes 3 billion.
