Anne Waiguru

H.E. Governor Anne Mumbi Waiguru, EGH OGW, (born 16 April 1971) is the second Governor of Kirinyaga County in Kenya, in office since 22 August 2017. She was elected 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,^[2] 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,^[3][4] 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.^[5]

Anne Waiguru is the first of only three women Governors in Kenya. She served as the first female Vice Chair of the Council of Governors in Kenya between December 2017 and January 2019.

Education[]

Born on 16 April 1971, 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.^[6] 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.^[7]

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.^[8] 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.^[9]

Waiguru was the director of Integrated Financial Management and Information System (IFMIS), 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.^[2] 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.^[2]#WTCPresident Mwai Kibaki honoured Ann Waiguru with an Order Grand Warrior title due to her exemplary performance at the Information System and Integrated Financial Management.Her team through her leadership also won three Awards for good Performance in the Public Service.^[10]

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 three women governors in the country. She steered the county in 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.

She has implemented a social economic empowerment program dubbed Wezesha Kirinyaga that focuses on four value chains namely poultry, dairy, avocado and tomatoes. In poultry, 32 community groups comprising 900 households are supported to produce one million eggs a month, earning an extra Ksh.1000 daily for each of the households. The dairy, avocado and tomato projects focus on establishment of processing factories with an aim of adding value to agricultural produce.

The other project is an apparel factory where women are engaged in making hospital linen and school uniforms to earn a living.

Anne Waiguru also brings to the table of public policy design and decision-making great diligence and excellence. Her resilience, sheer drive, commitment to excellence, and ability to deliver on complex tasks and across a diverse range of professional fronts has elevated her as a premier role model to seasoned women leaders, emerging leaders, and young women and girls alike.

Amujae leader[]

H .E. Anne Waiguru was selected to join Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (EJS) Presidential Center for Women and Development as an Amujae Leader 2021 Cohort.

Amujae is flagship program of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Leadership (EJS Center) and the initiative of former Liberia President and the first female President in Africa, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The Amujae program is designed to address the underrepresentation of women in public leadership in Africa and ensure that women become equal players in setting the national priorities of their respective countries. It also aims at equipping women with tools and the confidence required to seek the highest positions of public leadership and empower the next generation of leaders to rise with them.

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