- "I used to say that one day, I'd like to be a PS. I think I was 28 at the time. Between 28 and 32 years old."
- The Governor was working in the development world, coordinating programmes at the bank with Parliamentarians, when she got an opportunity in the government.
Image: FILE
Chairperson of the Council of Governors Anne Waiguru has revealed that she always wanted to be a public servant.
Waiguru said she considered re-entering the public service sector, in a different position, after her exit from Cabinet in 2015.
She however said she was persuaded to try politics.
"So, I actually decided to try it out," she said.
Waiguru was speaking in an interview with NTV on Monday night.
Her service at the World Bank opened up an opportunity into the sector.
"Even then, when I was working with the World Bank it's because I had an interest in public service," she said.
"I used to say that one day, I'd like to be a PS. I think I was 28 at the time. Between 28 and 32 years old."
The Governor was working in the development world, coordinating programmes at the bank with Parliamentarians, when she got an opportunity in the government.
She was seconded to the Office of the President, then third President, the late Mwai Kibaki.
She was appointed in public service as an adviser to the then PS of Reforms Joyce Nyamweya.
"....and that's how I got into the service," she said.
Waiguru's journey in the service rose as she was appointed to work in the National Treasury.
She served as the head of Governance and the Economic Stimulus Programme.
In 2013, she was appointed by the retired President Uhuru Kenyatta as the first Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Devolution and Planning.
During her time, Huduma Centers were established.
"I have always had an interest in making a difference. I could have been anywhere, but I think the most fulfilling thing for me has been to work in the public service," the Governor said, adding that she's worked in the private sector.
Commenting on her life in politics, Waiguru said her entrance happened by "default".
"It wasn't like a plan," she said.
After leaving the Ministry of Devolution in 2015, she was persuaded to become a politician, to which she agreed to try.
"So, we agreed that we will come to the county, have a feel at interacting with the local communities and see what people think. Many of them were very positive and that is how I ended up running for Governor of Kirinyaga County," she added.
Waiguru was first elected as the county boss in the 2017 general elections. In 2022, she defended her seat and was re-elected.
In September 2022, she was elected as the CoG chair. Previously, between 2017 and 2019, she served as the first female Vice Chair of the COG.