Meet Kenya’s ten Vice Presidents And One Deputy President.
Top row, left to right:
1. Obadiah Adonijah Ajuma Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Vice President of Kenya from 12th December 1964 to 14th April 1966;
2. Joseph Zuzarte Murumbi, Vice President of Kenya from 3rd May 1966 to 31st November 1966;
3. Daniel Kapkorios Toroitich arap Moi, Vice President of Kenya from 5th January 1967 to 22nd August 1978;
4. Emilio Mwai Kibaki, Vice President of Kenya from 14th October 1978 to 24th March 1988;
5. Dr. Josephat Njuguna Karanja, Vice President of Kenya from 24th March 1988 to 1st May 1989;
Bottom row, left to right:
6. Prof. George Musengi Saitoti, Vice President of Kenya from 1st May 1989 to 8th January 1998, and again from 3rd April 1999 to 30th August 2002.
The office of Vice President of the Republic of Kenya was vacant for 14 months from 8th January 1998 to 3rd April 1999, when Prof. George Saitoti was re-appointed Kenyan Vice President by “word of mouth” by President Daniel T. arap Moi by a roadside on the Nakuru – Nairobi Highway, when President Moi said in Kiswahili to a gathering he was addressing:
“Hata kukiwa na makamu wa rais haita ongeza sufuria mbili za chai kwa meza… hata hivo, wacha tu Saitoti aendelee na kazi,”
in other words in English:
“Even if there is a Vice President in Kenya, it will not add to the number of pots of tea in Kenyan households… even then, let Prof. George Saitoti resume office as Kenyan Vice President.”
This country of ours has been unnecessarily toying with danger for too long now. What would have happened if President Moi had died or been incapacitated in those 14 months? It would have ignited a totally uncalled for constitutional crisis;
There were also heightened political temperatures before the Kenyan elections of 2002.
President Moi nevertheless flew to America to meet President George W. Bush.
What would have happened if President Moi’s plane had crashed and he had died? It would not have ignited a constitutional crisis because there was a sitting Vice President at the time i.e. Musalia Mudavadi, but it would have ignited a political crisis. And President Moi really ought to have known better, because one time in the 1980s, his aeroplane hit major turbulence high up in the sky, and it looked like they would crash.
However Kenya Airways pilot Capt. Cheruiyot skilfully got them out of trouble, and naturally, Capt. Cheruiyot became President Moi’s favourite pilot after this;
7. Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi, Vice President of Kenya from 4th November 2002 to 3rd January 2003;
8. Michael Christopher Kijana Wamalwa, Vice President of Kenya from 3rd January 2003 to 23rd August 2003;
9. Arthur Moody Awori (“Uncle Moody”), Vice President of Kenya from 25th September 2003 to 9th January 2008
10. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, Vice President of Kenya from 9th January 2008 to 9th April 2013;
11. William Kipchirchir Samoei arap Ruto, Deputy President of Kenya since 9th April 2013. The new Kenyan constitution of 27th August 2010, introduced the Office of the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, to replace the Office of the Vice President of the Republic of Kenya.
