Waiguru takes over Kirinyaga, pledges to transform county

Ex-Devolution Cabinet Secretary, Anne Waiguru, has been sworn-in as the new Governor of Kirinyaga County.

In an inauguration ceremony that was graced by Deputy President, William Ruto, Waiguru took the oath of office before hundreds of residents that had been assembled at the Kirinyaga University grounds in Kutus town on  Monday, August 22.

The Kirinyaga gubernatorial race was arguably among the most keenly watched in the country, as the ‘iron lady of Kenya politics’ and 2013 presidential candidate, Martha Karua was also eyeing the seat.

Waiguru, of Jubilee Party, trounced her fiercest rival Martha Karua of NARC-Kenya, incumbent governor Joseph Ndathi and two other candidates to clinch the much coveted seat.

According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) website, Waiguru garnered 160,728 votes against her closest challenger Martha Karua who got 121,200 votes.

Waiguru is among the first three women to make history as the first female governors after Joyce Laboso and Charity Ngilu also won in Bomet and Kitui Counties.

She promised the people of Kirinyaga she would embark on actualizing her campaign pledges which include improving health service delivery and increasing number of health facilities, modernizing agricultural sector especially in the growing of rice, coffee and tea as well as fully implementing irrigation farming, introducing a peoples-driven policies to eradicate poverty, upgrading county roads  and improving education sector.

“As we begin this transformative journey, I promise you today that I will be that governor that you so dearly wish for this county! I will be impartial in executing my duties, I will be fair in the distribution of resources, I will work tirelessly to deliver my pre-election promises and cooperate with other elected leaders in this county to build a Kirinyaga that we can all be proud of,” said Ms. Waiguru.