The President on Thursday swept his entire Cabinet after weeks of deadly protests by Generation Z but spared Mudavadi, saying he will now form a broad-based government.
Political analyst Alexander Nyamboga says the president’s decision to spare Mudavadi was a deliberate political signal besides his “huge trust in him."
“The prime cabinet Secretary at the moment is like the wheel that runs the government given his position as the chairperson of the National Government Coordination Committee," he said.
The pundit noted that given Mudavadi’s political arrangement with President Ruto before teaming up ahead of the 2022 polls, his position is unique and pre-negotiated.
“Given the level of resentment in Mount Kenya region, it would have a big gamble for the president to also send home Mudavadi as that would have really exposed him politically," he said.
Mudavadi has already agreed to dissolve his ANC outfit and join Ruto’s UDA ahead of the 2027 polls amid Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s rebellion.
Some political analysts say Mudavadi is being propped as Gachagua’s possible replacement in 2027 should Mount Kenya drift away, triggering unease in the DP's camp.
Famed for his political earthquakes, Mudavadi was instrumental in giving Ruto’s 2022 presidential campaigns a national face and is seen to have injected the much-needed momentum for a final sprint.
Ruto was at the time facing a ruthless political war with his boss Uhuru Kenyatta, who had disowned him and was backing Raila Odinga.
The President in key Cabinet Changes in 2023, handed Mudavadi the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs docket, elevating his stature within the government as a member of the National Security Council.
The Council has the President, the Deputy President and the Cabinet Secretaries for Defence, Foreign Affairs and Internal Security.
Others are the Attorney-General, Chief of Defence Forces, Director-General of the National Intelligence Service and the Inspector General of Police.
The President spared Mudavadi so that he could continue to coordinate the Principal Secretaries to ensure continuity in government amid a fallout with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Hours before the Cabinet was fired, Mudavadi chaired the National Development Coordination Implementation Committee at the Kenya School of Government.
The committee was formed following Executive Order No. 2 of 2023 which was issued by Ruto as he reorganised his government.
The Executive Order put Mudavadi in charge of the National Government Coordination Committee, a role that puts him at the centre of overseeing development projects across the country.
Considered soft-spoken and diplomatic, Mudavadi has huge experience in the management of public affairs and state-craft having been a vice president and minister for years.
It is understood that Mudavadi is trusted within government because of his experience and sobriety as opposed to Gachagua who is regarded as hard-hitting and forceful.
Mudavadi, first became a Member of Parliament at the age of 29 in 1989 when he was elected unopposed in a by-election to take the Sabatia Constituency seat.
The seat was vacated by his deceased father Moses Mudamba Mudavadi.
He went on to win the seat in the 1992 and 1997 general elections.
Mudavadi served for 14 years in the Kanu government as Minister for Supplies and Marketing, Finance and Transport and Communication.
Following Kanu's defeat in the 2002 General Election, which saw Mwai Kibaki take over as the third president of Kenya, Mudavadi was in the political cold for five years having lost the Sabatia parliamentary seat until 2007 when he made a comeback.
When the grand coalition government was formed after the Koffi Annan-led Serena talks following the 2007/2008 post-election violence, Mudavadi was named deputy prime minister.
Mudavadi had backed ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidential bid and came position two during the party’s nominations.
Kibaki maintained a close working relationship with him and towards the end of his term, though not covertly, backed Mudavadi to succeed him in the 2013 General Election.
In 2012, Mudavadi fell out with Raila over the picking of ODM presidential flag bearer.
He ditched the party in April 2012 and joined the United Democratic Front, (UDF) in which he vied for president.
He later moved to the Amani National Congress in 2015.
