Waiguru: I won’t quit politics after term ends

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has said she won’t hang her boots after her term ends in 2027.

The second-term governor was first elected in the 2017 elections after serving as Devolution CS in the Jubilee administration’s first term, becoming one of the three female county bosses then.

Speaking on Tuesday, Waiguru dismissed the assumption that she will quit active politics when her second term ends.

"There are people who have been saying the governing is finishing then she goes home. Who told you I’m going home?” she posed.

She was speaking during the official opening of NCBA Kerugoya Branch where she was the guest of honour.

“Who told you I’m leaving? Do I look like someone who is going home?” she asked the audience.

The bank is NCBA’s 97th branch.

Waiguru said the opening of the new branch in Kerugoya reflects the confidence the lender has in the county's potential and marks a new era of opportunities for residents, SMEs and businesses alike.

She said the county is fertile ground for such investments owing largely to its standing as a rice producer.

“We are the number one producer of aromatic rice in the region not just in Kenya. Pishori is only grown in Kirinyaga. That Pishori rice earns our farmers in excess of Sh25 billion every year,” she said.

“So if you’re thinking about where should you open a branch, I’m giving you the hints without telling you where. You know for me I need to get votes from everywhere,” she added.

Waiguru emerged as a strong contender for the post of Deputy President, when talks about the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua, started gaining momentum fast.

Her suitability as the country’s second-in-command was endorsed not only by fellow female governors in the G7 but Kenyans at large if a recent poll following Gachagua’s ouster is anything to go by.

A survey by Tifa Research released on October 7, a day before Gachagua was impeached, indicated that Waiguru was the third most preferred replacement with a 3 per cent approval rating.

She was beaten to the first slot by the eventual pick, Prof Kithure Kindiki, who garnered 37 per cent of the votes in the survey.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro were second with 5 per cent each, while Homa Bay county boss Gladys Wanga wrapped up the top five with 2 per cent.

Waiguru’s positioning in the male-dominated race underscores her potential influence in the political arena and like they say a day is a long time in politics, the dynamics could shift come 2027.