Kirinyaga Governor, Ann Waiguru, will on Thursday host an event to activate the Kirinyaga Chapter of the G7 Strategy that will bring together all women governors in the country.
The event will be held at General Kassam Stadium in Kianyaga, Gichugu, Kirinyaga County and will be attended by elected and aspiring leaders, the general public drawn from Kirinyaga and other counties where exhibitions will be done on various sectors.
Preparations are ongoing to accommodate the guests in the county.
The G7 Strategy, whose vision is a transformed society embracing women leadership in delivering the devolution promise, was developed by the caucus of women governors with the mission of modelling women governors as transformative leaders and champions of inclusive political representation and participation.
Governor Waiguru extended her invitation to the public, saying the G7 Strategy seeks to enhance leadership at the county and national levels to reveal the potential of women as leaders to transform society, their gender notwithstanding.
“The G7 strategy is our beacon of hope to change the world and embrace women's leadership and foster inclusive and equitable leadership,” she said
The strategy creates a framework for the planning and delivery of the devolution promise in Kenya as well as enhancing the participation and representation of women in leadership and decision-making.
The G7 Strategy is also aligned with Vision 2030 and the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), among other development strategies.
Waiguru, who has long been a champion of gender equity and women’s representation in politics, said the delegates will tour selected development projects before proceeding to the stadium, where there will be an exhibition of county projects.
The event provides a forum for women leaders to support one another, share their success stories, experiences and best practices that can inspire the future generation of female leaders.
She said the forum will offer networking opportunities for the attendees.
G7 Strategy is anchored on four pillars, namely—Socio-economic development, Good governance, accountability and access to justice, Political Strategy and Institutional Strengthening.
Kenya made significant strides in electing 7 women governors in the 2022 general election, up from 3 in 2017.
Ann Waiguru is serving her second term, while Fatuma Achani (Kwale), Cecily Mbarire (Embu), Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Gladys Wanga (Homabay), Kawira Mwangaza (Meru)and Wavinya Ndeti (Machakos) are serving their first terms as governors.
The business community, especially the hospitality industry, is expected to get a boost in sales as thousands of visitors are expected in the county, hence the need for more goods and services.