Moody Awori
Encyclopedia
Vice-President of Kenya
The Vice-President of Kenya is the second-highest executive official in the Kenyan government.-List of Vice-Presidents of Kenya:*Jaramogi Oginga Odinga *Joseph Zuzarte Murumbi *Daniel arap Moi...
of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
from 25 September 2003 to 9 January 2008.
Politics
Awori was born in ButereButere
Butere is a town in the Western Province of Kenya. It has an urban population of 8636 The town is the capital of Butere District formerly Butere/Mumias District.-Transportation Links:...
. He went to Mangu High School in 1935, and later Kakamega High School
Kakamega High School
Kakamega high school is a four year high school located in Kakamega, Kenya. It was formerly known as African Government School Kakamega. It is categorized by the Ministry of Education Kenya as a provincial school...
. Subsequently he studied at Makerere University
Makerere University
Makerere University , Uganda's largest and second-oldest higher institution of learning, , was first established as a technical school in 1922. In 1963 it became the University of East Africa, offering courses leading to general degrees from the University of London...
in Uganda.
He was first elected as a Member of Parliament representing Funyula Constituency
Funyula Constituency
Funyula Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of four constituencies in Busia District. The constituency was established for the 1997 elections. At independence it was known as Busia Central represented in parliament by the Late James Machio till 1967 upon his death...
in Busia
Busia
Busia may refer to the following:Places*Busia District, Kenya*Busia District, Uganda*Busia, Uganda, the Ugandan town on the border with Kenya*Busia, Kenya, the Kenyan town on the border with UgandaPeople...
District in Western Province in 1983. Under President Daniel arap Moi
Daniel arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002.Daniel arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'...
, he served in several positions as assistant minister.
Awori broke with the ruling party, KANU
Kenya African National Union
The Kenya African National Union, better known as KANU is a political party which ruled Kenya for nearly 40 years after its independence from British colonial rule in 1963, until its electoral loss at the end of 2002...
, in 2002 and joined the National Rainbow Coalition
National Rainbow Coalition
The National Rainbow Coalition was a coalition of Kenyan political parties in power from 2002 and 2005 when it fell apart in a controversy between its wings about a constitutional referendum.-Formation:...
opposition party, and is chairman of NARC’S top decision making organ. When Moi was succeeded by Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki is the current and third President of the republic of Kenya.Kibaki was previously Vice President of Kenya for ten years from 1978–1988 and also held cabinet ministerial positions, including a widely acclaimed stint as Minister for Finance , Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for...
, Awori was made Minister of Home Affairs in January 2003 and then Vice-President (while remaining in charge of Home Affairs) in September 2003, following the death of the previous Vice-President, Michael Kijana Wamalwa in London.
Awori is the ninth vice president since Kenya's independence in 1963. Others before him were Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga was a Luo Chief, who became a prominent figure in Kenya's struggle for independence. He later served as Kenya's first Vice-President, and thereafter as opposition leader...
, Joseph Murumbi
Joseph Murumbi
Joseph Zuzarte Murumbi was Kenya's second Vice-President from May 1966 until December 1966. He was a child of a Goan trader and a Maasai woman, and he spent the first 16 years of his life in India...
, former President Daniel arap Moi
Daniel arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002.Daniel arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'...
, current President Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki is the current and third President of the republic of Kenya.Kibaki was previously Vice President of Kenya for ten years from 1978–1988 and also held cabinet ministerial positions, including a widely acclaimed stint as Minister for Finance , Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for...
, Prof Josephat Karanja
Josephat Karanja
Dr. Josephat Njuguna Karanja was a Vice-President of the Republic of Kenya between 1988-1989. He resigned to avoid an ongoing vote-of-no-confidence in the Kenyan Parliament...
, Prof George Saitoti
George Saitoti
Prof. George Kinuthia Saitoti is a Kenyan politician and mathematician who was Vice President of Kenya from 1989 to 1997 and again from 1999 to 2002. He has been Minister for Internal Security since 2008 and Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010.-Biography and education:George Saitoti is...
, and Musalia Mudavadi
Musalia Mudavadi
Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi is a Kenyan politician, currently serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government.Mudavadi was born in Sabatia, Vihiga District...
.
In the December 2007 parliamentary election
Kenyan parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections in Kenya were held as part of the Kenyan general election on December 27, 2007; presidential elections were held on the same date....
he lost his seat in Parliament. On 8 January 2008, Kibaki named Kalonzo Musyoka
Kalonzo Musyoka
Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka is a Kenyan politician, currently serving as Vice President of Kenya. Musyoka served in the government under President Daniel arap Moi and was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1993 until 1998; subsequently, under President Mwai Kibaki, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs...
to replace Awori as Vice-President and Minister of Home Affairs, and Awori handed over the office on 9 January. Awori, describing Musyoka as "a friend and political son", said that he believed Musyoka was "equal to the task", while Musyoka said that he had "deep respect" for Awori, who he called "a true gentleman".
Personal
A devout Roman Catholic, Awori is married to Rose Awori. The couple has five adult children – two sons and three daughters – and grandchildren.His older brother, W.W.W. Awori, served on the Legislative Council
Legislative Council
A Legislative Council is the name given to the legislatures, or one of the chambers of the legislature of many nations and colonies.A Member of the Legislative Council is commonly referred to as an MLC.- Unicameral legislatures :...
in the 1950s. His younger brother Aggrey Awori
Aggrey Awori
Aggrey Siryoyi Awori is a Ugandan politician and a member of the ruling National Resistance Movement party. He was the Minister for Information & Communications Technology in the Ugandan Cabinet, from 16 February 2009 until 27 May 2011. In the Cabinet reshuffle of 27 May 2011, he was dropped from...
is a politician in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
who came third in the presidential elections of 2001. His sister, Mary Okello, is a founder and CEO of the Makini Schools.
Anglo Leasing
He has recently been implicated in the Anglo Leasing scandal in a report published on 22 January 2006 by John GithongoJohn Githongo
John Githongo is a former Kenyan journalist who investigated bribery and fraud in his home country and later, under the presidency of Mwai Kibaki, took on an official governmental position to fight corruption. In 2005 he left that position, later accusing top ministers of large-scale fraud...
. He has insisted upon his innocence and refused to resign, saying he saw no reason to. In February 2006 eighty Members of Parliament demanded his resignation, threatening street protests if their requests were not met. A few days later protestors on the streets of Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
called for his resignation as part of a wider anti-corruption demonstration. After this was not achieved, the Social Reform Centre said that he was undermining the integrity of his office in refusing to step down and promised to continue protesting. In a February 22 interview with the Public Accounts Committee
Public Accounts Committee
The Public Accounts Committee is a select committee of the British House of Commons. It is responsible for overseeing government expenditures to ensure they are effective and honest...
Awori blamed civil servants, claiming to have been misled and that he had had nothing to do with any wrongdoing.
Awards
He is also the founder chairman of the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya, and a member of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries.He holds an honorary doctorate degree from the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
in the United States of America. He was awarded the degree in May 2004 in recognition of his many years of dedicated service to the disadvantaged in society, particularly the disabled and the poor.
tute of Secretaries.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the nation and the society in general, the Kenyan Government decorated him with two high level State awards – Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) and Elder of the Golden Heart (EGH).
External links
- A Kenyan newspaper article on the Awori's role in the Anglo Leasing scandal
- BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
: Article on Awori's involvement in the scandal