Governor Anne Waiguru Urges Mt Kenya to Back President Ruto or Face Decades in Opposition

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru warned the Mt Kenya region that abandoning President William Ruto in his re-election bid could leave the area out of government for up to 30 years.

Speaking at a community empowerment forum in Laikipia East, she said Ruto is on track to win a second term and that his support extends across at least 33 counties, making an opposition challenge difficult.

She added, “I have done my calculations, and I can tell you without fear or favour that William Ruto is going to be re-elected President for a second term. We are being misled as a community that we have eight million votes and can determine everything on our own. The President has traversed the country, and his support has grown across the counties,” she said.

Waiguru argued that the opposition is fragmented, lacks a unified presidential candidate and is not prepared to mount a successful challenge in the 2027 election.

She warned, “Ruto has done one term, and there may be issues that have discouraged people, but we cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater. Removing a President is not easy. We have the experiences of 2017 and 2022 to reflect on. Our one-term song will not get us to State House,” she said.

Waiguru cautioned that turning against the administration could isolate the Mt Kenya electorate politically and undermine long-term development interests.

She quoted, “Do not cut your nose to spite your face. You may think you are punishing Ruto, but you are punishing yourself,” urging voters to consider the consequences of a one-term stance.

Drawing on her own career, Waiguru noted she served in the Treasury under former President Mwai Kibaki and in the Cabinet under former President Uhuru Kenyatta before becoming governor.

She reminded the audience of Ruto’s past loyalty to Kenyatta, citing his support for Kenyatta’s 2013 presidential bid and his alignment with Kenyatta in 2017 under an understanding that Kenyatta would serve two terms before Ruto.

Waiguru highlighted security improvements in Laikipia, attributing the current calm to the President’s interventions.

She said elected leaders should be judged on performance and that “work should speak for itself,” referencing development projects in Kirinyaga.

After completing her county development agenda, Waiguru said she is ready to serve at the highest levels of national leadership, including as Deputy President.

The forum also featured Laikipia Woman Representative Jane Kagiri, who praised community-empowerment programmes and cited road and lighting upgrades in Kirinyaga as examples of cooperation with the national government.

Laikipia West MP Stephen Karani and Kiambu County Woman Representative Anne Muratha attended and also campaigned for Ruto’s re-election.