Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi spent only two months in one of Kenya’s most powerful offices, a brief tenure that earned him a unique place in the country’s political history.
Mudavadi served as Kenya’s Vice President from November 4, 2002, to January 3, 2003, making his time in the office the shortest of any Vice President in the country.
He was appointed by the late President Daniel arap Moi during the final months of his administration, taking over from George Saitoti.
At the time, Moi was preparing for the 2002 General Election and Mudavadi was seen as an important figure in efforts to strengthen KANU’s support in Western Province.
The appointment also placed Mudavadi at the centre of Moi’s succession plan.
He was selected as the running mate of Uhuru Kenyatta, who had been chosen by Moi to carry the KANU flag in the presidential race.
A brief stay at the top
The 2002 election, however, brought a change of government. Kenyatta and his KANU team were defeated by Mwai Kibaki, whose victory ended Moi’s 24-year rule and brought Mudavadi’s time as Vice President to a close.
Mudavadi's short tenure also belongs to a different era of Kenya's executive structure.
Under the system that existed before the 2010 Constitution, the Vice President was the second-highest executive official and served at the pleasure of the President, who had the power to appoint or dismiss the holder.
The 2010 Constitution later replaced the office with that of Deputy President, with the new position becoming the second-highest executive office in government.
Mudavadi's exit from the Vice Presidency did not mark the end of his rise through government.
He returned to the executive years later as Deputy Prime Minister, a position he held between 2008 and 2012, while continuing to play a role in national politics.
He has since served in different political capacities and remains in senior government.
In President William Ruto's administration, Mudavadi is the Prime Cabinet Secretary as well as Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
His political career therefore stretches across several administrations, from a 60-day stay as Vice President at the end of the Moi era to holding senior positions in the government more than two decades later.