Women governors, 30 Members of Parliament and several MCAs have endorsed Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru to seek a higher political seat after her tenure as governor ends.
The governors who spoke during a G7 Summit in Kirinyaga County on Thursday said Waiguru is ripe for a national leadership position following the conclusion of her two terms of governorship.
The group said the Kirinyaga Governor is ripe for a Deputy President position.
They said Waiguru, also the Council of Governors (COG) Chairperson, is a progressive and transformative leader with an outstanding track record.
The women governors, who were flanked by a section of deputy governors, women representatives, and top government officials, observed that her performance as a governor should act as a springboard into national politics.
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti praised Waiguru’s efforts to streamline the health sector, saying she would replicate some of her projects in her county.
“Governor Waiguru is a worker. We are here to learn and sharpen each other. We have just seen the Kerugoya Hospital, whose initiation I got to witness, and I’m happy that it has been completed and well equipped.”
“The standards in that hospital are only equitable to those in some of the biggest hospitals in this country,” Wavinya said, noting that there is a lot that needs to be done nationally and that Waiguru fits the bill.
She said Waiguru broke the glass ceiling as the first woman governor in the country and inspired the rest to vie for the position.
“We are behind her as she continues to advocate for women's leadership in the country,” Wavinya added.
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga said Waiguru has selflessly served her county and should serve at the national level in any capacity.
“She is a strong woman fit for any position,” Wanga said, noting that the G7 members had learnt a lot from Waiguru and her legacy in Kirinyaga.
Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani praised Waiguru as an excellent mentor who has been a champion of women's leadership.
The governor, she said, has excelled in her role as COG chairperson and that she has come of age for national politics.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya said that only a woman could have achieved what Waiguru had in Kirinyaga.
“This G7 strategy is the right tool for ensuring more women are elected to leadership positions,” she said.
Nyandarua Woman Representative Faith Gitau said as women leaders, they will continue to stand on her shoulders as they wiggle for more leadership spaces for women.
“We have seen the good work that Waiguru has done, and we are saying the future is women. Come 2032, and the President shall be a woman, and Waiguru will be there,” she said, referencing Waiguru’s innovations at the national government, including the establishment of Huduma Centres.
Ida Odinga, the G7's patron, said they are committed to supporting women to vie for political seats to reach and surpass the two-third gender threshold.
Murang’a governor Irungu Kang’ata said he borrowed the idea of upgrading shopping centres through the Smart Cities programme from Waiguru’s cabro paving project.
On her part, Waiguru said women have for long been underrepresented in positions of power, putting them at a disadvantage.
The G7 movement’s aim, she noted, is to provide a framework that will guide collective efforts in realising the true potential of devolution in Kenya while amplifying the voices of women in leadership.
She said that the country has witnessed tremendous improvement in service delivery in key development sectors, especially in areas spearheaded by women leaders.
“We must continue to create enabling spaces and hold the hands of aspiring women to access positions and thrive in them.”
