Kirinyaga, September 22

Outspoken Kirinyaga Governor, Anne Mumbi Waiguru, is on her way to the Deputy President William Samoei Ruto-linked United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Ms Waiguru gave the clearest indication during a tour of duty in her county on September 22.

While addressing the crowd that had gathered by the roadsides, Governor Waiguru posed a couple of questions to the electorate on whether she should decamp or not.

"Let me ask you this since you are my employers, what party should I defend my gubernatorial seat with?" she posed in Swahili.

"UDA," responded the crowd while cheering her on.

She posed the question two more times and the response was the same.

The Governor said she would go with the decision of the people of Kirinyaga since they are her employers and will determine her political future.

"If anyone asks me, I will say that is the party the people of Kirinyaga chose for me," she added in Swahili.

Earlier in the month, Ms Waiguru had hinted on joining UDA but said her options remained open.

While appearing on an interview on Citizen TV and Spice FM, the Kirinyaga Governor said her choice of party would be determined by the people who vote for her.

Her statement was received with mixed reactions with her county Woman Representative, Purity Ngirici, inviting her to the UDA party.

Ms Ngirici, who is also eyeing Ms Waiguru's seat, said the DP Ruto-affiliated party would conduct free and fair nominations, noting she would square it out with the incumbent in the primaries.

Ms Waiguru seems to have fallen out of favour with President Uhuru Kenyatta's ruling Jubilee Party which sponsored her to the county's top office, after the defeat of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) at the Court of Appeal.

Shortly after the August 20, 2021 judgment by the Court of Appeal that termed BBI as illegal and unconstitutional, Ms Waiguru - who was at the forefront in campaigning for it - said the proposals in the document were not famous in Mt Kenya.

This led to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) summoning her to answer to questions relating to some expenses by the county, as well as some pending bills. She termed the summons as political witch hunt, saying they will not derail her resolve to defend her seat.