Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has received backing for the Deputy President position in the 2027 elections from a section of Members of Parliament (MPs).

The legislators who included Irene Njoki (Bahati), Anne Wamuratha (Kiambu) and Gachoki Gitari (Kirinyaga Central) also warned Mt. Kenya region against ignoring their advise not to abandon President William Ruto’s re-election, saying the community risks losing its political influence.

They cited Waiguru’s work experience at the National Treasury, Cabinet Secretary and two terms as Kirinyaga governor, saying this had prepared her for a greater national responsibility

Speaking during a women empowerment forum in Bahati Constituency, the leaders said Waiguru has all it takes to be President William Ruto’s running mate in the 2027 elections.

The leaders who were campaigning for the re-election of President Ruto, further asked Kenyans to make their 2027 presidential choices based on performance and not political rhetoric. They said the 2027 Presidential elections arithmetic favours President William Ruto.

They asked residents to back President William Ruto’s re-election bid, warning that communities that walk away from the government risk surrendering their influence in national decision-making.

“We ask you to support, Waiguru for the DP position so that she can defend women issues on the high table,” said MP Njoki.

On his part, Gitari, praised Waiguru for her record in Kirinyaga and urged Bahati residents to back her bid for the Deputy President position.

Gitari said Waiguru had demonstrated leadership through the county’s development record and called on women to support one another in the pursuit of senior national positions.

“Her transformation initiatives such as Huduma Centers, IFMIS, and her time as Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary, two terms as governor and Chair and Vice Chair at the Council of Governors speaks round for everyone to see,” she said. 

On her part, Waiguru argued that the 2027 General Election should be approached as a contest over development, political representation and the region’s long-term interests rather than a wave of political emotion.

She expressed confidence that Ruto would secure a second term, saying her political assessment pointed to a president with a solid national support base and an opposition unlikely to overcome its internal divisions to rally behind a single candidate.

“I do not gamble. I have done my analysis, and I can guarantee you that President Ruto will be re-elected in 2027,” Waiguru told the gathering, maintaining that the Mt Kenya region should not isolate itself from a government in which it still has an opportunity to influence national decisions.

The governor argued that the opposition’s prospects were complicated by competing presidential ambitions among its leaders, who she said were unlikely to agree on a common candidate. In her assessment, a fragmented opposition would divide its support and improve Ruto’s chances of retaining the presidency.

She further claimed that only a handful of Mt Kenya counties remained opposed to the government, adding that political sentiment in some of those areas was beginning to shift.

Waiguru cautioned residents against being persuaded by leaders she accused of seeking to use the region’s voting strength as leverage in post-election political negotiations, insisting that communities should evaluate what they stand to gain or lose before making political choices.

“Even when a house is leaking, you repair it; you do not demolish the whole house,” she said, using the analogy to argue that dissatisfaction with a government should not automatically translate into abandoning it.

The governor also invoked the importance of keeping political commitments, saying the Mt Kenya community should honour its political understanding with Ruto and avoid being portrayed as a region that abandons its promises when circumstances change.

She cited infrastructure development, including the Rironi–Mau Summit highway project, as an example of investments that could benefit the wider region and strengthen the case for President Ruto’s continuity.

Waiguru maintained that removing a sitting president was difficult, particularly where an administration could point to development projects and an established national support base. She urged residents to assess the government on its record and the benefits of continued engagement rather than political rhetoric.

Beyond Ruto’s re-relection campaign, Waiguru used the Nakuru forum to advance her own case for national leadership, asking residents to support her ambition to become Deputy President in 2027 elections.

She said her record in public service, including her experience in the national government and two terms as Kirinyaga governor, had prepared her for a greater national responsibility.

“I have finished my work as governor, and I want to move to national matters,” she told the gathering, explaining that her continued engagement with communities across the country was intended to explain her ambitions and seek public support.

Waiguru argued that women deserved a stronger presence at the highest levels of executive decision-making, noting that their representation could bring greater attention to issues affecting households and communities.

She pointed to health, water and youth empowerment as areas where women’s experiences could help shape more responsive policy, observing that women constitute approximately half the population and are directly affected by decisions made at the national level.

The governor framed her campaign around performance, arguing that leadership should be assessed through tangible results rather than political alliances alone.

MP Njoki who hosted the event, defended her support for the Kenya Kwanza administration, saying her position was informed by the government’s performance and its contribution to development in her constituency.

Njoki said residents should evaluate the government on what it had delivered and exercise discernment when making their political choices ahead of the next election.

Waiguru, in turn, praised Njoki’s development record, arguing that her collaboration with the national government had enabled her to deliver projects for Bahati residents.

She challenged constituents to assess whether the results were visible, saying that development required cooperation between elected leaders and the government responsible for implementing national programmes.

She further appealed to women to support other women seeking leadership positions, saying that greater women representation in executive decision-making could help address challenges that disproportionately affect families and communities.