Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru is seemingly a woman on an unknown mission and that she is positioning herself for bigger things is no doubt.
The outspoken governor has not only backed the Handshake but also been the leading pro-Building Bridges Initiative force in the Mt Kenya region. She was also one of the few governors who were given an opportunity to speak during the BBI report launch at the Bomas of Kenya while many of her colleagues were overlooked.
On Friday, Waiguru hosted a high-powered government delegation in Kirinyaga led by Interior CS Fred Matiang’i and PS Karanja Kibicho was also in attendance.
The high-profile event was also attended by a number of governors who included Nyandarua’s Francis Kimemia, Joseph Ole Lenku (Kajiado), Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka Nithi), John Nyagarama (Nyamira), and Mutahi Kahiga (Nyeri).
Cotu secretary-general Francis Atwoli was also in attendance alongside other leaders such as Woman Reps: Wangui Ngirici, Fatuma Gedi, Gladys Wanga and Kiambu Women representative Gathoni Wamuchomba.
In a TV interview in August, Waiguru said a wind of political change had hit central Kenya, throwing open the region’s choice of a presidential candidate in the 2022 General Election. She was also open to the idea of forming a political alliance with Opposition leader Raila Odinga ahead of the 2022 race.
Waiguru, who has had a frosty relationship with Raila, is now having a political dalliance with the ODM leader. Their prevailing rapprochement, which begun in November last year after she withdrew a suit against Raila for linking her to the multi-million shilling scandal at the National Youth Service (NYS), became even stronger after the former PM accompanied President Uhuru Kenyatta to the governor’s wedding in Kirinyaga in July this year.
“In politics, formations happen. Those who showed up at the wedding were there either to confirm their membership to emerging political formations or friendship,” she said in the August interview with KTN.
She went ahead to campaign for ODM’s candidate, Imran Okoth in the Kibra by-elections, despite Jubilee Party having a candidate in the race.
At one time, she was considered as Deputy President William Ruto’s most preferred deputy in 2022 but upon joining Embrace Kenya, (women supporting the handshake team) Waiguru has been on parallel sides with the DP. She recently claimed that another Kikuyu President would fuel tribalism and disparities among other communities in 2022 while indicating that most Kenyans were not ready for a recycle – a comment that elicited a fierce reaction from Ruto.
We supported and voted for Uhuru to succeed Kibaki not b’cos of ethnicity but COMPETENCE. He is NOT leader of any ethnic community but that ofJUBILEE ,the largest political party with Mca’s,Mps and Gov’s in 41 of 47 counties and President of kenya. Muwache kasumba ya ukabila pls. pic.twitter.com/Pw9NY50InB
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) September 12, 2019
Waiguru has been insisting that she would continue to position herself as the voice of Mt Kenya region ready to take the mantle of leadership if considered in 2022. Only time will tell if she has set herself on a mission impossible.