Succession politics in Kirinyaga: Muriithi Kagai VS Anne Waiguru

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><xml> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE </xml><xml> </xml> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> 2017 is near, it’s actually less than a year before Kenyans go to the polls again. The main seat Kenyans will be looking at is the county boss seat. Devolution brought its evils and goodies but in Kirinyaga, trust me; only evil. The race to succeed the incumbent Joseph Ndathi has already started. His goose is already cooked, it started boiling the day he opened a footbridge, contracted MS Mobi to open a Facebook page for him for 1.2 m and built over 77 toilets for Kirinyaga residents in the name of development. So the race begins,

Muriithi Kagai VS Anne Waiguru

Muriithi Kagai is known from his attempt in 2013 where he came runners to the incumbent Joseph Ndathi with 65,070 votes. Campaigning on the policies rule of law and ending corruption he lost to the incumbent mainly due to the party politics. TNA swept the whole of central province, GNU which he vied with did not. Now again throwing his hat again in the 2017 race with a promise of a fresh start with zero tolerance on corruption.

Muriithi Kagai is a development economist with a career spanning across the globe, Serbia where he founded KEP (a microfinance for helping Kosovo residents after the Yugoslavia collapse) grew it to a multi-million financial trust until he left in 2009. DANIDA, The Royal Danish Government, The Ugandan Government, The Ghanaian Government, The Kenyan Government, Vision 2030 and recently MESPT chairman of the Board of trustees. Hoping to use his international connections to get donors and his economic mind to give Kirinyaga a good economic plan.

Anne Waiguru is typically a household name mainly due to her tenure as CS in the ministry of devolution and the work she did there, upgrading Kibera slum, implementing Huduma Centres and also involved in IFMIS. What tainted her legacy though is the corruption scandal that rocked the powerful Ministry of Devolution while she was in charge.

Begs the question who is the most suitable?

Muriithi Kagai has the support Ndia, Kirinyaga Central and Mwea, has no integrity issues pending or looming over his shoulders, was runner up to the incumbent, enjoys international connections due to his work with financial donors all across Europe and the US and an tops all these strengths with a direct approach to the people, cutting off political broker as bridges to the people.

Anne Waiguru on the other hand has the support of Gichugu, claims the crucial Githure-Kiamutugu-Kianyaga road was built due to her lobbying with the top leadership, enjoyed ties to state house as the most powerful CS until her stepping down and asking for lighter duties, integrity issues looming over her head following the disappearance of NYS money under the ministry of devolution when she was in charge, has no touch with Kirinyaga residents and uses political brokers to get to the people.