When Anne Waiguru dared the political game, many people outside Kirinyaga never thought she could go past the Jubilee Party primaries, mainly due to her alleged association with mass looting in the name of the NYS scandals.
However, Anne Mumbi Waiguru miraculously soared past the incumbent John Ndathi, and emerged the new Kirinyaga Governor after the 2017 polls.
Three years later, its all chaos and unending wrangles in Kirinyaga.
There are those that feel betrayed, or is it deceived by the Waiguru wave of 2017.
With the current stalemate orchestrated by the wrangles between Waiguru and the County Assembly, several Kirinyaga leaders have decried the absence of ‘anything government’ in the county.
Efforts to end the stalemate have severally ended in futility. Waiguru blames certain ‘external forces’, accusing them of maliciously meddling with the county affairs.
Enter Wangui Ngirici, the outspoken Kirinyaga first time Women Representative.
Political pundits argue that she has managed to reduce Anne Waiguru’s influence in Kirinyaga County.
Ngirici’s touch with the people appears to be doing the magic, and everyone seems to be buying into this.
Just three days ago, she received a consignment of PPEs, surgical masks, N95 respirator masks, nitrile gloves, and other equipment from Equity Bank meant to assist in the fight against COVID-19 in Kirinyaga.
There are those that feel that Ngirici brings in a voice of reason and the best alternative to the embattled Waiguru.
Could this be the reason corporates like Equity Bank now see her as a reliable link to the people?
Through her Wangui Ngirici Foundation, the outspoken legislator has set up medical camps in several wards, provided water tanks, and built better shelters for the aged among other activities.
On the other hand, Waiguru’s star seems to be fading every single minute.
The many corruption allegations leveled against her have compounded the unfulfilled promises to the locals.
One of the grounds cited for her recent impeachment is the opening of a coffee shop in the US to market the county’s produce. MCAs said millions of shillings were spent on the initiative, but it turned out to be a hoax.
Waiguru promised a whooping Ksh120 per kilogram for locals, a gold mine that has only remained in writing.
With the BBI wave fading every day, Waiguru finds herself between a rock and a notoriously hard place. Having lost ground in Kirinyaga, her hopes to sell herself as the bonafide Mt. Kenya lead negotiator in the 2022 race are as good as gone.
Her Deputy’s support on just any matter remains in question. Simply said, everything around her has fallen apart.
Mr. Ndambiri is on record having lashed out at his boss over what he said is her failure to initiate and implement development projects in wards represented by MCAs who are considered her foes.
“We deserve development equally in the entire county without discrimination. The governor should stop discriminating against some areas and their leaders,” he stated.
According to Ndambiri, Waiguru should be ready to respond to all questions from MCAs on the utilization of county funds.
“Waiguru has lost all the chances she ever had of redeeming herself. A few months to the general elections, the EACC admitted that it erred in clearing her from the NYS corruption scandal. Now corruption and arrogance are her confirmed pet names,” says Joel Kimani, a taxi operator in Mwea town.
“Waiguru was a big mistake in Kirinyaga. Waiguru has failed the same people she vowed to defend. She remains the most unreachable, the proudest, and most self-entitled leader on earth. We have learnt our lessons the hard way,” says Mercy Gategi, a hairstylist in Kerugoya.
