Mudavadi's Daughter Maryanne Weds Lawyer In Traditional Ceremony [PHOTOS & VIDEO]

Prime Cabinet Secretary (CS) Musalia Mudavadi's daughter, Maryanne Mudavadi, is officially off the singles' market.

This is after she, on Saturday, August 19, tied the knot with her long-term partner, Nyaga Karanja, a lawyer, in a flashy traditional ceremony popularly known as ruracio, at her father Mudavadi's Mululu home in Vihiga County.

The lovebirds have been keeping details of their relationship a secret for a while and had been dating for some time prior to the ceremony.

The bride, Maryanne Mudavadi, her lover, Nyaga Karanja, and groom's lineup during the traditional wedding at Mululu in Vihiga on Saturday, August 19, 2023. /PHOTO

The glamourous wedding that oozed class and elegance saw the colour green dominate the African-themed wedding as the groom's men, who included Davidson Wakairu, the son of Jubilee Vice Chairman David Murathe, donned emerald green attire from the shirt to the pants.

The groom's lineup consisted of his brothers, Musalia's sons Michael and Moses as well as Wakairu, who has been best friends with Nyaga for over 20 years.

The man and woman of the moment would steal the show, with Nyaga donning a black outfit head to toe with a touch of green, overflowing scurf-like coat detail. Maryanne on the other hand wore a lace-green dress which accentuated her curves.

Guests complimented her appearance by dotting signature tawny brown dresses with white front buttons beloved by Central Kenya women during Ruracio negotiations.

The couple's wedding brought the sleepy village of Mululu to a standstill as flashy cars and thousands of guests mesmerised the villagers as they arrived for the event. From the decor to seats and plates, glasses and cutlery, the wedding is said to have cost the two families an arm and a leg. 

Nyaga, a Kikuyu, married Maryanne, a Luhya, adding to the increasing scenarios of tribes intermarrying each other.

The veteran politician, who was in attendance alongside his wife, Tessie, was jovial at his daughter's wedding, and at some point, he took to the dance floor to entertain guests.

Mudavadi, armed with a maroon notebook in his left hand and a stylish staff stick in his right hand, danced vigorously to a popular Luhya hit, leaving guests cheering as he and Tessie presented their daughter to their son-in-law.

Nyaga, a lawyer by profession, is reported to have recently developed an interest in politics but it remains to be seen whether or not he would vie for a seat in the 2027 general elections.

Maryanne, on the other hand, has a glittering education and work experience. She graduated from the University of Sussex in Brighton, England with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2018 before acquiring a Masters degree in Human Resource Management a year later from the same university.

She has a license in Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies from the Harvard Business School and another in Leadership and Organisational Behaviour from the same institution.

She worked as a volunteer in the Mudavadi Memorial Foundation Trust (MMFT) for four months where she helped with office tasks including taking messages, scanning documents and answering phone inquiries.

“Through MMFTF breast cancer advocacy program I guided beneficiaries of the program to health facilities for their continued support. At the community level, I provided advocacy material relating to screening and thereafter,” reads her LinkedIn profile.

She also volunteered at the National Assembly Lady Spouses Association, Kenya (NALSA-K), which sponsors a primary school in Olkalau for children affected by displacement due to various factors.

Maryanne worked as an intern for two companies from May 2014 to January 2022. She now serves as a recruiter at a local bank.