Anne Mumbi Waiguru, EGH, OGW, was the 2nd Governor of Kirinyaga County in Kenya, in office since 22 August 2017.She was elected as Governor in elections held on 8 August 2017. Previously, she served as the first Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Devolution and Planning. She was nominated by President Uhuru Kenyatta to the position on 25 April 2013, holding a Master's Degree in Economics from the University of Nairobi, and having experience in finance, financial management systems, public service reform, capacity building, and governance. She is behind the establishment of Huduma Centres, places where Kenyan citizens can access government services more efficiently, as well as the 30% procurement rule, which accords at least 30 per cent of all supply contracts to the government to the youth, persons with disability and women. Anne Waiguru is the first of only three women Governors in Kenya. She served as the Vice Chair of the Council of Governors in Kenya between December 2017 and January 2019.
Education
Born on 16th April 1972, She attended Nairobi River Primary School and later Precious Blood Girls' Secondary School, Riruta where she sat for her O-Level exams in 1987. She then joined Moi Forces Academy in Nairobi where she sat for her A-Level exams in 1989. At Moi Forces Academy, Waiguru studied Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. Upon graduating from Egerton University with a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture and Home Economics, she worked for Transparency International as an intern and research assistant, and then joined the Kenya Leadership Institute. Waiguru holds a Master's Degree in Economics from the University of Nairobi, and has specialized experience in public finance, financial management systems, public service reform, capacity building and governance.
Career
Anne Waiguru began her career in the public service by providing technical assistance to the Public Service Reform Secretariat in what was then the Cabinet Office. She then served as the Head of Governance and the Economic Stimulus Programme at the National Treasury, alternate to the Permanent Secretary/National Treasury in the Public Procurement Oversight Authority and Advisory Board and the Women Enterprise Fund Board. She was successfully nominated in 2011 as one of the Top 40 under 40 women in the country, the only nominee at the time from the Public Service. Waiguru was the director of Integrated Financial Management and Information System, and Head of Governance at the National Treasury. She served briefly as a senior public sector manager/assistant vice president, at Citi-group. Previously, she served as a technical advisor in the Cabinet Office, Office of the President on secondment from the World Bank. Waiguru has served as the alternate to the Permanent Secretary National Treasury in the Public Procurement Oversight Authority Advisory Board, and, the Women Enterprise Fund Board. At the end of August 2016, Anne Waiguru declared her interest in politics and registered for TNA membership. This was in preparation for the 2017 general election where she was planning to vie for the Kirinyaga County gubernatorial seat.
Kirinyaga Governor
In 2017, Waiguru was elected Governor of Kirinyaga county, making her one of only 3 women governors in the country. She is currently developing a Sessional Paper for the county stipulating a 15-year visionary agenda titled the Mountain Cities Blueprint. The paper is the first sub-national paper in the country. She has also undertaken healthcare reforms, transport and infrastructure upgrades and is developing an industrial park to manufacture local produce. Additionally, she began an empowerment program dubbed Wezesha that seeks various avenues in government projects to economically empower women and youth in the county. An example of this is the hospital linen project that facilitates women tailors to tailor hospital apparel that the county then buys at market rates. In 2020, June, the Kirinyaga MCAs passed a motion to impeach Anne Waiguru as the elected governor of Kirinyaga County. The motion was then forwarded to the Kenya Senate house for verdict and ruling.
On June 9, 2020, Anne Waiguru was impeached by Kirinyaga county Members of County Assembly after a motion of impeachment was brought against her with allegations of abuse of office. Waiguru was alleged to have established a tendering committee which was influenced by personal interests, and was accused of receiving irregular travel allowances for trips she did not make. The impeachment motion was heard by a special committee set up to discuss the impeachment charges levelled against her. On June 26, 2020, Anne Waiguru was acquitted by the Senate house committee, and retained her Kirinyaga Governor seat. Along with Joyce Laboso and Charity Ngilu, Waiguru is one of three women who became Kenya's first female governors in 2017.
