Anne Waiguru
{{Short description|Kenyan politician}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Her Excellency
| name = Anne Mumbi Waiguru
| honorific_suffix = EGH
| image = HE. Ann Waiguru.jpg
| office1 = Second-term Governor of Kirinyaga County{{cite web|title=List of elected Governors in August 8th Election|url=https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/files/2017/08/Governor.pdf|publisher=Capital FM Kenya|accessdate=6 February 2018}}
| party = United Democratic Alliance (Kenya)
| term_start1 = 22 August 2017
| term_end1 =
| deputy1 = David Githanda
| office2 = Cabinet Secretary for Devolution
| term_start2 = 15 May 2013
| term_end2 = 21 November 2015
| president2 = William Ruto
| successor2 =
| birth_name = Anne Mumbi
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|04|16|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| nationality = Kenyan
| children = 3
| alma_mater = Egerton University
University of Nairobi
| website =
| office = Chairperson, Council of Governors (COG) Emeritus, 2022–October 2024(CoG)
}}
Anne Mumbi Waiguru, EGH, (born 16 April 1971) is the second Governor of Kirinyaga County in Kenya, who has been in office since 22 August 2017.
She made history in the 2017 general elections when she, alongside Charity Ngilu and the late Joyce Laboso became the first female governors to be elected in Kenya since the introduction of the devolved system of governance following the promulgation of the 2010 constitution.{{Cite web |last=Kabintie |first=Winnie |date=2018-03-08 |title=International Women's Day: Kenya Celebrates Efforts in Closing Political Gender Gap |url=https://www.kenyaforum.net/politics/international-womens-day-kenya-celebrates-efforts-in-closing-political-gender-gap/ |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=The Kenya Forum |language=en}} She was re-elected to office as Governor for her second 5-year term in the elections that were held on 9 August 2022.
Previously, she served as the first Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Devolution and Planning. She was nominated by H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta to the position on 25 April 2013.{{cite web |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/137909381/Cabinet-Secretary-Nominees-CV-s-Part-2 |title= Anne Waiguru CV |last1= |first1= |date= 25 April 2013 |publisher=State House|location=Nairobi |accessdate=25 April 2013}} She later resigned from the role in 2015 amidst corruption allegations during the 2015 National Youth Service scandal where Ksh. 791 million was misappropriated.{{cite news|title=Embattled Waiguru finally calls it quits after call to President Uhuru Kenyatta|work=Nation Media News |date=21 November 2015 |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/embattled-waiguru-finally-calls-it-quits-after-call-to-president-uhuru-kenyatta-1147290}}
In February 2016, she was cleared by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on all charges.{{cite news|url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/m/story.php?articleID=2000190893&story_title=EACC-clears-Waiguru-in-Sh791m-scandal |title=Kenya : EACC clears Waiguru in Sh791m scandal |work=The Standard |date=2016-02-08 |accessdate=2017-04-24}} However, in March 2016, EACC Chairman Phillip Kinisu said that there had been errors in clearing Waiguru. He stated that these errors had been as a result of a communication breakdown between government agencies.{{cite web|last=Agutu |first=Nancy |url=http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/03/09/eacc-cleared-waiguru-in-case-of-miscommunication-kinisu_c1310001 |title=EACC cleared Waiguru in case of 'miscommunication'- Kinisu |website=The-star.co.ke |date=2016-03-09 |accessdate=2017-04-24}}
She is behind the establishment of Huduma Centres, places where Kenyan citizens can access government services more efficiently in their respective counties.{{cite news|title=Kenya launches Huduma e-centre to cut bureaucracy|work=BBC News |date=7 November 2013 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-24855993|accessdate=8 November 2015}}{{cite web|title=Access to Government Procurement Opportunities |url=http://www.youthfund.go.ke/30-government-procurement-preference-provision-for-the-youth/ |publisher=Youth Enterprise Development Fund |accessdate=8 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118072525/http://www.youthfund.go.ke/30-government-procurement-preference-provision-for-the-youth/ |archivedate=18 November 2015 }} as well as the 30% procurement rule, which accords at least 30 per cent of all supply contracts to the government to the youth, persons with disability and women.{{cite web|title=New procurement laws to spur economic growth|url=http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion-and-Analysis/New-procurement-laws-to-spur-economic-growth/-/539548/1939380/-/16tryq/-/index.html|publisher=Business Daily|accessdate=8 November 2015}}
Anne Mumbi Waiguru was also among the seven women Governors in Kenya elected in the 9 August 2022 Kenyan general election. The other Kenyan female governors include Susan Kihika-Nakuru County, Gladys Wanga-Homa Bay County, Cecicly Mbarire-Embu County, Wavinya Ndeti-Machakos County and Fatuma Achani-Kwale County as well as Kawira Mwangaza-Meru County. This is the highest number of women in this position since the implementation of the devolved system of government in Kenya in 2013. During the 2017 general election in Kenya, only three women were elected as governors against a total of 44 male governors.
Waiguru was the first female vice chair of the Council of Governors in Kenya between December 2017 and January 2019.{{Cite web |date=2017-12-18 |title=Ann Waiguru Ascends to COG Leadership |url=https://www.kenyaforum.net/politics/ann-waiguru-ascends-to-cog-leadership/ |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=The Kenya Forum |language=en}} She was elected as the chairperson in September 2022, becoming the first female to serve as chairperson of the Council of Governors in Kenya.{{Cite web |last=Okoth |first=Brian |title=Anne Waiguru elected Council of Governors chairperson |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001455912/anne-waiguru-elected-council-of-governors-chairperson |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=The Standard |language=en}}
In 2023, she was unanimously re-elected for a second term as the chair of Council of Governors (COG) during a full council meeting held in Nairobi. Upon her re-election, Waiguru said that her focus would now be ensuring that all devolved functions and subsequent resources are fully handed over to the county governments.
Education
She attended Nairobi River Primary School and later Precious Blood Girls' Secondary School, Riruta where she sat for her O-Level exams in 1987. She then joined Moi Forces Academy, Nairobi for her A-Level exams in 1989. At Moi Forces Academy, Waiguru studied mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Upon graduating from Egerton University with a bachelor's degree in agriculture and home economics, she worked for Transparency International as an intern and research assistant, and then joined the Kenya Leadership Institute.{{cite web|title=Transition from Transparency International to Devolution ministry Waiguru's tale|url=http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Waigurus-transition-to-Devolution-ministry/-/1056/2945900/-/10jkqpoz/-/index.html|publisher=Nation Media Group|accessdate=9 November 2015}} Waiguru holds a master's degree in economics from the University of Nairobi, and has specialized experience in public finance, financial management systems, public service reform, capacity building and governance.{{cite web|title=Ms. Ann Waiguru, School of Business|url=http://business.uonbi.ac.ke/node/6613|website=uonbi.ac.ke|publisher=University of Nairobi|accessdate=9 November 2015}}
Career
Waiguru began her career in the public service by providing technical assistance to the Public Service Reform Secretariat in what was then the Cabinet Office. She then served as the Head of Governance and the Economic Stimulus Programme at the National Treasury, alternate to the Permanent Secretary/National Treasury in the Public Procurement Oversight Authority and advisory board and the Women Enterprise Fund Board.{{cite web |last=Aswani |first=Nixon |date=19 August 2020 |title=Anne Waiguru biography |url=https://www.tuko.co.ke/283556-anne-waiguru-news-biography-facts.html }} She was successfully nominated in 2011 as one of the Top 40 under 40 women in the country, the only nominee at the time from the Public Service.{{cite web|title=Anne Waiguru, O.G.W |url=http://www.presidency.go.ke/index.php/devolution-and-planning/14-state-departments/246-anne-waiguru-o-g-w |publisher=The Presidency |accessdate=9 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125133035/http://www.presidency.go.ke/index.php/devolution-and-planning/14-state-departments/246-anne-waiguru-o-g-w |archivedate=25 January 2016 }}
Waiguru was the director of the Integrated Financial Management and Information System (IFMIS), and Head of Governance at the National Treasury. She was briefly a senior public sector manager/assistant vice president, at Citi-group. Previously, she served as a technical advisor in the Cabinet Office, Office of the President on secondment from the World Bank.
Waiguru has served as the alternate to the Permanent Secretary National Treasury in the Public Procurement Oversight Authority Advisory Board, and, the Women Enterprise Fund Board. WTC President Mwai Kibaki honoured Waiguru with an Order Grand Warrior{{Cite web |date=2018-12-12 |title=DPP Haji, DCI Kinoti top list of Presidential Awards |url=https://www.citizen.digital/news/dpp-haji-dci-kinoti-top-list-of-presidential-awards-223072 |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=Citizen Digital |language=en-KE}} title due to her exemplary performance at the Information System and Integrated Financial Management. Her team through her leadership also won three Awards for good performance in public service.{{cite web |date=September 2023 |title=Anne Waiguru's Biography |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/people/anne-waiguru-3813600}}
At the end of August 2016, Waiguru declared her interest in politics and registered for TNA membership. This was in preparation for the 2017 general election where she was planning to vie for the Kirinyaga County gubernatorial seat.
Kirinyaga Governor
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=February 2024}}
In 2017, Waiguru was elected Governor of Kirinyaga County, making her one of only three women governors in the country{{Cite web |title=Win for Waiguru as Supreme Court dismisses Karua's petition |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/nyanza/2019-08-06-win-for-waiguru-as-supreme-court-dismisses-karuas-petition |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=The Star |language=en}}. She steered the county in developing a Sessional Paper for the county with a 15-year agenda titled the Mountain Cities Blueprint. The paper is the first sub-national paper in the country{{Cite web |date=2020-07-05 |title=Kirinyaga to transform sub-counties into mini cities |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/life-and-style/dn2/kirinyaga-to-transform-sub-counties-into-mini-cities--3970 |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=Daily Nation |language=en}}. She has also undertaken healthcare reforms, transport, and infrastructure upgrades and is developing an industrial park to manufacture local produce.
She has implemented a social economic empowerment program dubbed Wezesha Kirinyaga, that focuses on four value chains namely poultry, dairy, avocado and tomatoes{{Cite web |date=2021-09-26 |title=Kirinyaga farmers’ groups benefit from Sh172m county funds |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/kirinyaga/kirinyaga-county-projects-benefit-14-000-households-3563220 |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=Daily Nation |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-11-10 |title=Boost for Waiguru’s flagship projects as assembly passes budget |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/kirinyaga/kirinyaga-assembly-passes-supplementary-budget-3017426 |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=Daily Nation |language=en}}. In poultry, 32 community groups comprising 900 households are supported to produce one million eggs a month, earning an extra KSh.1,000/= daily for each of the households. The dairy, avocado, and tomato projects focus on the establishment of processing factories with an aim of adding value to agricultural produce{{Cite web |date=2021-02-25 |title=Waiguru inspects Wezesha Kirinyaga Projects, says BBI to boost county development |url=https://www.citizen.digital/news/waiguru-inspects-wezesha-kirinyaga-projects-says-bbi-to-boost-county-development-7190478 |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=Citizen Digital |language=en-KE}}.
The other project is an apparel factory where women are employed to make hospital linen and school uniforms.
The 2022 general election saw Waiguru defend her seat as she was re-elected for her second term as Kirinyaga county governor{{Cite web |last=Kejitan |first=Vincent |title=Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru successfully defends her seat |url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/counties/article/2001453063/governor-anne-waiguru-successfully-defends-her-seat |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=The Standard |language=en}}. Waiguru was declared winner of the hotly contested race between her and Woman representative Purity Ngirici after garnering 113,088 votes{{Cite web |date=2022-08-13 |title=Waiguru retains governor seat with landslide victory – Kenya News Agency |url=https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/waiguru-retains-gubernatorial-seat-with-landslide-victory/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |language=en-GB}}.
In 2023, Waiguru was elected as a member of the Executive Bureau of ORU Fogar, an international organization which aims to bring together regions from all over the world and represents them before other international organizations in order to boost a global policy of balanced development and territorial cohesion with its headquarter in Barcelona, Spain{{Cite web |title=Waiguru elected to regional governments body ORU Fogar |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/nyanza/2023-11-21-waiguru-elected-to-regional-governments-body-oru-fogar |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=The Star |language=en}}.
References
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Category:Egerton University alumni
Category:University of Nairobi alumni
Category:Government ministers of Kenya
Category:Women government ministers of Kenya
Category:21st-century Kenyan women politicians
Category:21st-century Kenyan politicians