Kenya is home to a good number of powerful people. However, the crazy fact is that money does not always equate influence and power. Below is a list of top ten most powerful people in Kenya in terms of power and say and not money or assets owned by the parties;
1. Uhuru Kenyatta
Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta is the current president of the Republic of Kenya. In other words, he is thought to be among the powerful people in Kenya because he is the Commander-In-Chief of the Kenya Defense Forces.
He also happens to be the son of Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of the Republic of Kenya. He was the MP of Gatundu South constituency from 2002 till 2013.
He later became the Minister of Finance then the Deputy Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. Uhuru Kenyatta hails from the Kikuyu community in Kenya and he is loved and supported by them.
2. Raila Odinga
He is a 75-year-old very influential political person in Kenya. He has been in the political phase in the country for so long, meaning that he has so much knowledge in that space. Raila Odinga is commonly known as ‘baba’ meaning ‘father’. He was the opposition leader from 2013- 2018. Raila Odinga is the son to the first Vice President of Kenya, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
3. Dr. William Samoei Ruto
William Samoei Ruto is the current Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya. He was in KANU but he later shifted and he is now a member of Jubilee party. William Ruto was the acting president in Kenya from 5th to 8th October, 2014 when Uhuru Kenyatta was in Hague. William Ruto receives so much support from the Kalenjin and Kikuyu communities. He is 53 years old as of the year 2020.
4. Dr. Fred Matiang’i
Fred Matiang’i is the Current Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Security in Kenya. He became quite powerful when he was put as the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Science and Technology and he tried his best to streamline the Kenyan Education System.
READ: Top 10 Richest Kenyan Pastors and their Net Worth 2020
5. Musalia Mudavadi
He is a 58-year-old former vice president of Kenya. He served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 till 2012. He has so much influence especially in the Abaluhya community.
6. Kalonzo Musyoka
He was the 10th Vice President of the Republic of Kenya from 2008 till 2013. He was also able to serve as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1998 and from 2003 to 2004. He is the Wiper Democratic Party Movement leader.
7. Moses Wetangula
He was able to serve as the Senator of Bungoma county from 2013 till 2017. He is also the former Member of the National Assembly. Wetangula was also able to work as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2008 till 2010 and the Minister of Trade from 2012 to 2013. Wetangula is a member of FORD- Kenya and he is 63 years old.
8. Yusuf Haji
He is the 79-year-old Senator of Garissa county. He was able to serve in the Kenyan Government as the Minister of Defense (2008-2013) and Internal Security and Provincial Affair (2018). He is widely known for being a strategist. He also never shies away from controversial topics.
9. Wafula Chebukati
He is the IEBC Chairperson. He became very influential and powerful during the 2012- 2013 public elections when he was in charge of the results.
10. Patrick Njoroge
He is the current and 9th Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya. Before his current position, he worked at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC for 20 years. He is known to be a very humble person who lives a simple life.
