Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru Delivers Talk at Chatham House in London

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru on Wednesday delivered a talk at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, commonly known as Chatham House in London, United Kingdom on Wednesday.
 
The former Cabinet Secretary made the speech in her capacity as the vice chair of Council of Governors' (CoG), an umbrella body for the 47 county heads in the country.

Waiguru's speech was based on title, "Five Years of Devolution in Kenya: Towards Inclusion, Gender Equality and Accountable Governance."

In her speech, the Governor commended President Kenyatta over his recent commitment in the war against corruption and abuse of office by public servants.

She particularly mentioned the lifestyle audit recently ordered by the President, terming it a big step towards ending graft.

“A huge problem in Kenyan politics is the pressure from families that want to benefit from their relatives in office. This is why the President has rightly opted for the audit,” said Ms Waiguru.

Waiguru however expressed fears that the fight against corruption might be politicised or used to settle political scores. “But the new Constitution was a key step forward,” she told the audience.

On women’s participation in politics and leadership, Waiguru told the audience that Kenya is moving in the right direction as witnessed in last year's elections.

“There were many challenges for me running for governor’s seat as a woman. But I knew that my campaign would have a wider significance for Kenyan women and girls who have traditionally been marginalised in politics,” she said.

“I am determined that after the next election, we will have at least 11 women governors in office. The problem with seeking support from male governors on this is that they think we are after their seats,” she told the audience.

She also addressed the achievements and challenges the country has faced in implementing devolution.

“Initially there was contestation between central and devolved governments, as well as within county governments over mandates and functions."

“Central government assistance to counties has included capacity building, developing model laws, and conducting institutional reviews to ensure skills are matched to mandates,” she said.