Governor Anne Waiguru extends an olive branch to election competitors
Kirinyaga County Governor Anne Waiguru has invited leaders who lost in the last general elections in the Kirinyaga to join her in building the county.
Speaking during her swearing in ceremony held on Thursday at Kamiigua Youth Polytechnic, Waiguru said that the campaign period was over and all leaders should now come together to move the county forward. “To my worthy competitors, I extend a hand of friendship and invite you, unconditionally, to come and join hands with us in our common agenda of promoting peace and moving Kirinyaga forward in the next five years. The election period is now behind us and we now rise above politics and do what is best for our people.” She said.
She said that she doesn’t hold grudge with anybody and it’s time to move away from politics and unite as people of Kirinyaga adding that there’s a lot that needs to be delivered to the residents. “We have now entered Wira Warie (let the work speak for itself) Season Two. A season that God has given us to complete the transformational journey that we began five years ago. A journey along which we have realized great milestones towards our Kirinyaga Rising vision of a county enjoying productivity through maximum realization of its potential for sustained economic, social and political development,” she said.
The swearing in ceremony was presided over by High Court Judge Lady Justice Hedwig Ong’udi and attended by Council of Governors Chief Executive Officer, Mary Mwiti, the Swedish Ambasador, Caroline Vicini among hundreds of guests and thousands of Kirinyaga residents. Governor Waiguru thanked Kirinyaga people for voting her back saying that it was a vote of confidence in her leadership and promised them that they will not regret their choice. She also thanked her campaign team, her family and religious leaders for the support they gave her during the electioneering period. She noted that her last administration had achieved many milestones in the various development sectors and said that her immediate duty will be to form a robust cabinet that will assist her in ensuring seamless service delivery which includes completion of the ongoing projects as well as implementation of new ones.
The Deputy Governor, David Githanda, pledged to fully support the governor to deliver her mandate. The Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Governors, Mary Mwiti, congratulated Waiguru for having been re-elected and being the only seven governors elected in the current regime. She noted that Waiguru’s election was a culmination of her determination, courage and vision and is historic since she is also one of the few governors who have been re-elected. She thanked the people fo Kirinyaga for having given the baton to a formidable woman leader at the same time noting that Kenya’s democracy has greatly grown and warming up to women leadership. She said that the COG is waiting in bated breath to usher in the largest number of female governors so far. She pledged the support of COG to the governors in the fight drawbacks such as delayed funds to counties among others. She called upon the elected governors to continue using their skills and competencies to champion the course of county governments and safeguard the gains made over the years.
The Swedish Ambassador to Kenya, Caroline Vicini said that she chose to grace the Kirinyaga swearing in ceremony since it was a great example of a growing democracy that has embraced women leadership. The envoy said that the county had set a great example by rewarding good work that the governor had done and re-electing her. She said that the Swedish government is very active in promoting democracy and electing a woman was a demonstration of a growing democracy.
