Waiguru here to stay, impeachment bid only makes her stronger

In her historic address to the UK, Queen Elizabeth II said the following in conclusion, “We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again.”

It was a great speech that reassured Britons all shall be well but what Her Majesty said is quite applicable and relevant to all nations.

However, while better days will return to England, as the Queen assured her subjects, we can only hope to see better days ahead in Kenya, not returning to where things were —politically, socially, economically and otherwise.

By all those measures, we were nowhere near where we would want to return.

To be sure, we had started making some progress in the political arena, as the BBI train picked up steam as it churned her way to the intended destination — implementation of key proposals in the report presented to President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on November 26, 2019.

Deputy President William Ruto also attended the presentation ceremony.

Then came coronavirus, which has effectively left nearly everything suspended with no certainty as to which direction the country and, indeed, the world will go once this virus goes away.

Saying 'nearly everything' is suspended is deliberate because in Kirinyaga county, some politicians with obviously well-greased palms are bent on flexing their brown bags in futile efforts to remove Governor Anne Waiguru.

The removal is based on baseless, trumped-up allegations against the good governor.

Allow me to reminisce about a relevant anecdote. Soon after President Kenyatta spoke at the Kenya Diaspora Easter Investment Conference at the Windsor Golf Hotel back in 2015, we all headed to a luncheon across from the venue. As we walked in that direction, the President stopped to take a group photo.

Choosing not to elbow myself in as others were doing, I opted to continue on to the luncheon site only to run into General Joseph ole Nkaissery, now deceased.

I stopped to say hi and as we were having a brief chat, I looked over and saw someone who looked very familiar. I excused myself from the general to talk to this lady, if anything, to know where I knew her from.

She was on the phone and everyone around was waiting for the President to finish the photo session. I inched closer hoping to chime in once the lady completed the call but only then did I realise she was none other than Devolution CS Anne Waiguru.

She looked familiar to me because I had seen her on television, although I had never met her in person. I retreated without saying a word, lest some heavy security detail tossed me like a toy.

Why am I recounting this?

To inform these ill-informed local county wannabe politicians in Kirinyaga that no amount of brown bag contents from you know who is ever going to succeed in dimming the rising star of Governor Waiguru.

She has earned her stripes and has all that it takes not only to become the first female deputy prime minister but, when that gig is done, to get a promotion and become our country’s first female president, God willing.

If doubting that prospect, consider what the good governor has going for her:

First, she has the backing of the President and that alone is enough land her any position.

Second, she’s articulate, intelligent, fearless at a time when women struggle to rise to high office, notwithstanding a culture that shuns strong, powerful women.

Third, Raila cleansed her of any perceived wrongdoing. [And she dropped her defamation suit against him.]

Fourth, yes, despite the noise from these paid hecklers, the governor has the love and support of the people of Kirinyaga.

For these and many other reasons, rest assured the good governor of Kirinyaga is here to stay. Any efforts to remove her from office shall be futile and will only make her even stronger.

Samuel Omwenga is a legal analyst and political commentator

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