Waiguru wins admiration from leaders for her impressive development scorecard

Kirinyaga county governor Anne Waiguru has won widespread admiration from leaders for her impressive development scorecard.

Governors, MPs, County Woman Representatives, members of various county assemblies and Mrs. Idah Odinga, wife of former prime minister Raila Odinga, all showered praises on the governor after touring some of her projects in the field and at the exhibition at Kianyaga stadium.

During the G7 Strategy activation in Kirinyaga, Waiguru showcased key achievements across multiple sectors including health, agriculture, trade, infrastructure and education among others.

Her commitment to healthcare reforms has led to the county having one of the largest referral hospitals whose standards can only be matched with those found in some of the largest private facilities in the country.

Machakos County Governor Wavinya Ndeti said that the people of Kirinyaga got the full value for their votes through the transformation brought about by their governor. “I am particularly impressed by Kerugoya Level Five Hospital whose standards can only be equated to those at Nairobi or Agakhan hospitals. I have borrowed a lot from the project which I am going to implement back home” said Wavinya, adding that she was also impressed by the ECDE uniform project in which the county government has distributed free uniforms to learners.

Governor Irungu Kang’ata from Murang’a said that his administration had replicated some of the projects is Kirinyaga to improve on healthcare delivery and town infrastructure, with his Wajir counterpart and Deputy Council of Governors Deputy Chair Ahmed Abdullahi noting that Waiguru’s transformative agenda and service delivery has exceeded expectations.

“Waiguru has done a lot of work but what has touched me the most is health sector. If I were a resident of Kirinyaga, I would have suggested that Kerugoya Level Five Hospital be renamed Anne Waiguru Hospital, because that will be her legacy in the county” said Idah Odinga amidst cheers from the crowd. She said governor Waiguru has set very high standards and her successor mush sustain the same.

Idah’s sentiments were echoed by Homabay Governor Gladys Wanga who noted that the maternity wing at the Kerogoya hospital can only match the one at Nairobi hospital. “You have dignified the women of Kirinyaga and you have left a legacy that will live beyond a 100 years” she said.

Former Kirinyaga Woman Representative, Wangui Ngirici, said that Waiguru has managed to achieve what the previous governments had not achieved for years and even though she was her close contender in the last general elections, Waiguru has lived to her promise to the people of Kirinyaga. “We all agree that what Waiguru has done can be seen by everyone in this country.” She said.

“We must tell it as it is, Governor Waguru’s work is out for all to see. She is a performer and has taught us a lot as far as consistency and service delivery is concerned. We must give her the accolades now.” Said former Nyeri deputy governor Dr. Caroline Karugu

Governor Waiguru said that among the strategies that the G7 is employing to achieve its goals in having more women elected in leadership involved showcasing the good work that the current women governors are doing.

She said that Kirinyaga has undergone tremendous transformation in all sectors despite its development budget being the sixth bottom with only Ksh. 1.2 billion.  She said that the scorecard had been achieved through prudent management and prioritization of the available resources.

“When we took over, the county did not have a Level five hospital, our hospitals had been run down, we did not have an ICU, a HDU, a Cancer Center, a CT scan center or an eye unit. Now we have all these facilities.” Said the governor, noting the upgrading of Kerugoya Hospital was a fulfilment of the county’s Moutain Cities Blueprint 2032 that designates Kirinyaga Central as the Wellness City. She added that upgrading of Kimbimbi, Kianyaga and Sagana Level 3 hospitals to level 4 facilities is ongoing while the county has also constructed 20 dispensaries.

Waiguru added that her administration has also managed to increase agricultural production by supporting farmers through issuance of farm inputs, value addition equipment as well as enhancing marketing systems. Her administration has also made major investments in roads rehabilitation, laying of cabros in all the major towns and construction of 18 markets to provide farmers with a conducive environment to aggregate and sell their produce.

“We have now partnered with the national government to develop an EPZ at the Sagana Industrial Park which will enable farmers earn more income from value addition and export” she added.

Some of the project which Waiguru took the delegation to include the upcoming Kimbimbi hospital complex, County Fish Aggregation Center at Kiaga and the Kerugoya Level Five Medical Complex.

The delegation also visited the exhibition at Kianyaga Stadium where innovative projects such as agricultural machinery were displayed. Among them were combined rice harvester, motorized sprayers, motorized weeders and planters, potable fertilizer dispensers. Rice driers, feed mixers, poultry cages and incubators.

Speaker after speaker emphasized that Waiguru’s excellent performance that focuses on sustainable growth has positioned her as a leader who prioritizes the needs of her constituents and could bolster her for an election to a higher office come 2027 elections.

Waiguru pledged to continue working towards the achievement of the county’s development goals and ensure that every county resident has the opportunity to thrive.