Governor Waiguru encourages women to take up top political positions

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru speaks during a past address. [John Muia, Standard]

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has urged women to actively pursue political positions to increase female representation in leadership.

In an interview on NTV, Waiguru, who also chairs the Council of Governors, expressed her satisfaction with the growing number of women stepping into political roles.

"I truly hope that we will see a woman in tier one, and I believe women can and should position themselves for whatever roles they desire," said Waiguru.

Tier one positions refer to political figures with national influence and appeal, while tier two encompasses political party leaders and regional kingpins. 

"People work for these positions. They strategize, build alliances, and come together. We hope that more will follow, whether governors or Members of Parliament. We also recognize that it can be challenging to rise from lower positions to tier one or two," she said.

Currently, there are  seven women governors in the country, and Waiguru expressed hope that more women would emerge in top leadership roles in the future.

"I have always said that if you lack ambition, you have no business in politics," she said.

However, she refrained from discussing the ongoing tensions with the Deputy President and the politics of Mount Kenya.

"Whoever thinks they can shift the region's weight away from the government needs to understand why we are in government and what it represents," she stated.

Waiguru implied that the Deputy President was not directly elected, contrary to claims made by some leaders.

"There is no position on the ballot called Deputy President. There is only the position of President. The President then chooses a running mate based on who they believe they can work well with. As a political leader, it’s your responsibility to position yourself to fulfil that role," she explained.

She also agreed with reports indicating that leaders must align with the government to secure development projects in their regions.

"Given that there have been suggestions of new political alignments, we have already gained an extra seven projects and have been promised another four by the national government. This can only happen when you align with the government," she said.

Waiguru elaborated that equitable resource distribution across all counties is not feasible, highlighting the importance of aligning with the government to advocate for development.