Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru has cleared the air on contesting for the presidential seat as Fred Matiang’I’s running mate.
Widespread reports had indicated that the Interior CS has the blessings to contest for the top seat, and might settle on Waiguru as his deputy.
The governor has now dismissed the reports, saying that she will defend her Kirinyaga seat in 2022, and has not been approached to be anyone’s running mate.
“I have seen posters of me being paired with other people on social media but I want to say that in 2022, I will be vying for governor of Kirinyaga County. For now, my plan is to defend my seat…that is my plan until there would be a different move,” Waiguru told the press on Wednesday, July 7.
She said that although the idea of being a presidential running mate is a good one, she hasn’t given it a thought yet.
“I have not sat with anyone to discuss the running mate question. It is not a bad thing. It shows that people believe in you. I see it as respect for the Kirinyaga people,” she said.
This means that Waiguru might have to face off with her current deputy Patrick Ndambiri who also declared an intention to vie for the top seat.
In the presser, Waiguru also gave her views on the declaration by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi that he will vie for the top seat.
The county boss said that Muturi is free to contest any seat that he wants, as it is within his rights.
“What we refused was the way someone was crowned spokesman but that has now changed since we see the person wants to be president,” she said.
Immediately after Muturi was crowned as the Mukurwe Wa Nyagathanga shrine on May 22, Waiguru and her Murang’a counterpart Mwangi Wa Iria came out to strongly oppose the move.
They stated that President Uhuru was the spokesperson of the Mt Kenya region, and that can not be changed until his term in office ends.
