Silverio Omari
Council of Governors Chairperson Anne Waiguru has expressed the Council’s commitment to increasing the number of women governors from the current seven to at least 24 by 2027.
Waiguru emphasized that the multiple impeachment attempts against Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza should not discourage other women from pursuing gubernatorial positions in the next general elections.
“We are here to encourage other leaders and ourselves as well because, as you all know, being a governor is challenging, and being a woman governor adds another layer of difficulty,” Waiguru stated.
She made these remarks during a joint press conference of the Council of Governors Women Caucus (G7) held at a Nairobi hotel on Thursday.
The event was attended by Governors Wavinya Ndeti (Machakos), Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Fatuma Achani (Kwale), Cecily Mbarire (Embu), and Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay).
The press conference preceded a two-day tour of Machakos County, hosted by Governor Ndeti. The women governors also expressed their support for Governor Mwangaza as she awaited the Senate’s verdict on her pending impeachment trial.
“We want to extend our sincere support to our sister Governor Kawira Mwangaza, who couldn’t be with us today due to her ongoing impeachment process. She needs to prepare for the upcoming sessions on Monday and Tuesday. We hope she navigates through this successfully, and this should not deter other women from running for governor,” Waiguru said.
Waiguru expressed her delight in being in Machakos County, noting that the journey of the G7 began in Homa Bay County. She explained that the G7 initiative aims to promote women in leadership by encouraging those already elected to collaborate, visit one another, and benchmark on development projects, as they are currently doing in Machakos.
“We want to demonstrate that women exemplify exceptional leadership. Governor Wavinya has been in office for just two years, but the list of projects we’ll be visiting will help demystify devolution and show Kenyans what it was meant to achieve,” Waiguru added.
After Machakos, the women governors plan to visit Nakuru, Embu, Kirinyaga, Kwale, and later Meru to showcase the achievements of women leaders.
“We hope to achieve our goal of growing from the G7 to G24, with 24 female governors by 2027. We encourage our male counterparts running for a second term to consider supporting women candidates as running mates,” Waiguru said.
Governor Ndeti shared her excitement about welcoming her fellow governors to Machakos, where they will explore the county’s accomplishments in healthcare, youth empowerment, talent development, social welfare, climate change, and infrastructure. She highlighted a project under the ‘Mama Initiative’ at the Matuu Daycare Centre.
Ndeti added that the tour would be an opportunity for the governors to learn from each other. The tour will culminate in a G7 Machakos County activation event at Kenyatta Stadium, where Ndeti plans to launch her empowerment initiative by distributing equipment to women, youth groups, and individuals, benefiting a total of 227,600 residents.
