Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru speaks during County Prayer and Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, September 4, 2025. /ANNE WAIGURU/X
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has urged residents to make wise choices at the ballot in 2027 and elect a leader who will build on her legacy.
Speaking on Thursday during the County Prayer and Thanksgiving Day, Waiguru, now serving her second term, said her development record is evident and warned it would be self-defeating for voters to entrust the county to a non-performer once she exits office.
“Start praying now for Kirinyaga—that it may get a better leader than Anne Waiguru,” she said.
The former Devolution CS and one time Council of Governors chairperson noted that some residents have voiced concerns about the county’s future after her tenure.
She, however, expressed confidence that Kirinyaga is not short of capable leaders, only urging residents to seek divine guidance in making the right choice.
“God is not limited to Anne Waiguru, God is not limited to any human being,” she said, citing Mathew 5:16 as inspiration for her performance in office.
“God can provide a person who will take us from this level to the next. And it’s not just about the governor’s seat—the county assembly too, because a governor cannot function without it. We must not take our county backwards.”
Waiguru has been at the helm of Kirinyaga since 2017, succeeding Joseph Ndathi, the county’s inaugural governor elected in 2013 after the advent of devolution.
She secured re-election in 2022, having earlier survived a court battle in which then-Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua unsuccessfully challenged her 2017 victory.
Waiguru garnered 161,373 votes while Karua was second with 122,091 in the election, which the now People's Liberation Party leader wanted nullified and fresh polls held.
Waiguru said her hope is that the progress achieved under her leadership across various sectors will be advanced by whoever takes over after her.
“We remain committed to delivering our development goals for the remaining two years. Above all, we give glory to God,” Waiguru said.
“I pray that in 2027, the determinant for who we elect in Kirinyaga will be work—70 to 80 per cent. And I intend to put up billboards to show: this is how it looked, and this is how it looks now.”
