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| Anne Waiguru addressing residents on Friday, 16 October 2026. |
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has expressed interest in becoming Kenya’s next Deputy President, defended President William Ruto’s leadership and questioned whether opposition leaders can unite behind a single candidate ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during a live interview on Citizen TV’s Sunday Live with Jeff Koinange on Sunday, October 18, 2026, Waiguru discussed her ambitions for national leadership, the political contest in the Mount Kenya region and the challenges facing the opposition. She also explained her decision to leave former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s political camp for Ruto’s side and revisited the National Youth Service (NYS) scandal that affected her career as a Cabinet Secretary.
WAIGURU DECLARES INTEREST IN BECOMING DEPUTY PRESIDENT
Waiguru openly declared her interest in becoming Ruto’s running mate if he seeks re-election in 2027.
“I have expressed my interest in serving as a DP in this country,” she said.
The governor defended Ruto’s performance describing him as the hardest-working president she had served under. Having worked in government under Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto, she drew on her experience across the three administrations to explain her assessment of the current President.
Waiguru argued that Ruto had faced significant political opposition during his first two years in office but maintained that his administration had delivered results. She also cited her experience in public service including her role in the establishment of Huduma Centres as part of the experience she would bring to national leadership.
Asked about the possibility of replacing Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Waiguru declined to compare their performance saying they had different skill sets.
She acknowledged that the final decision on Ruto’s running mate would rest with the President who would have to consider the political implications of the choice including the need to build support across the country.
Her declaration puts her among leaders seeking a bigger role in national politics as the ruling coalition prepares for the next election.
WAIGURU CLAIMS RUTO OUTRANKS SIFUNA IN MOUNT KENYA
Waiguru also challenged the perception that Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s visibility among young people and on social media necessarily translates into greater electoral support than Ruto’s.
She claimed that the President had a higher political rating than Sifuna in the Mount Kenya region urging those questioning Ruto’s popularity to examine polling figures.
“If you come to Mount Kenya, for example and you look at the ratings, you’ll be surprised that Ruto is higher than Sifuna. Do your numbers. Do the polls,” she said.
Waiguru argued that online popularity and the ability to attract large crowds at political rallies do not automatically translate into votes.
“It’s not easy to translate mobilisation of social media to votes. Those are two different things,” she said.
She further argued that political support varies across communities and that Sifuna’s background in Western Kenya did not automatically guarantee him support across the region.
Despite her criticism, Waiguru said she had no personal problem with the senator and described him as a friend with whom she communicates.
“Sifuna is a friend; we talk. I don’t have anything personal against him but I know he will not beat William Ruto,” she said.
Her remarks reflect the wider debate over whether social media influence and youth support can be converted into votes in a national election. However, her comparison represents her assessment of the political landscape rather than independent evidence establishing the two politicians’ relative popularity.
WAIGURU QUESTIONS SIFUNA'S READINESS FOR 2027
Waiguru also questioned whether Sifuna had built the political networks needed to mount a successful presidential campaign in 2027.
She argued that winning a presidential election requires more than attracting public attention pointing to the importance of building alliances and securing support from political leaders across the country.
In assessing Sifuna’s prospects, she referred to his ability to bring other political figures into his camp and contrasted this with Ruto’s experience mobilising Members of Parliament during his own journey to the presidency.
“I believe Sifuna has a future but I don’t think that future is 2027,” she said.
Her comments came as Sifuna continued to feature in discussions about the opposition’s leadership and the search for a candidate capable of challenging Ruto.
Waiguru’s assessment places emphasis on political organisation and coalition-building, two factors likely to feature prominently as parties and leaders negotiate their positions ahead of the election.
WAIGURU DOUBTS OPPOSITION LEADERS WILL AGREE ON ONE CANDIDATE
Beyond Sifuna, Waiguru questioned whether opposition leaders would be willing to support one another if they failed to secure the presidential ticket.
She discussed Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i arguing that competing ambitions could complicate efforts to build a united opposition.
Waiguru expressed doubt that Kalonzo would agree to become Matiang’i’s running mate saying, “I don’t see Kalonzo agreeing to deputise him.”
She also claimed that some Kalonzo supporters could turn to Ruto if their preferred candidate did not make it onto the ballot. She pointed to similar sentiments among some supporters in Kisii regarding Matiang’i.
Her argument was that opposition leaders would need to resolve disagreements over the presidential ticket and other senior positions before they could mount a coordinated campaign.
These are Waiguru’s political assessments, not established predictions about how the opposition or voters will behave in 2027.
WAIGURU CHALLENGES GACHAGUA'S INFLUENCE IN MOUNT KENYA
Waiguru also weighed in on the contest for political influence in Mount Kenya challenging the perception that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is the region’s undisputed political kingpin.
She argued that the region did not have a single leader whose influence was universally accepted and questioned whether Gachagua’s ability to mobilise public dissatisfaction necessarily demonstrated that he could command support for a presidential campaign.
Her remarks come as leaders from the region seek to establish their positions ahead of the 2027 election with competing political camps attempting to shape the region’s relationship with the national government.
Waiguru maintained that pursuing different political ambitions did not necessarily mean the region had to split.
“It’s not like we want to split the mountain; we have expressed our interest,” she said.
The comments underline the political competition over who will represent Mount Kenya’s interests nationally and how the region will approach the next presidential election.
WHY WAIGURU LEFT UHURU'S CAMP FOR RUTO
The governor also explained her decision to move from Uhuru Kenyatta’s political camp to Ruto’s side rejecting the suggestion that her shift amounted to betraying the former President.
Waiguru said she informed Uhuru before making the move. She explained that the political situation in Kirinyaga had become difficult as she prepared to defend her governorship in 2022.
She cited the attempted impeachment she had faced and concerns about seeking re-election while politically isolated with elected leaders in the county belonging to other parties.
Her account presents the decision as a political calculation shaped by the circumstances she faced locally and the alliances she believed she needed to secure another term.
Waiguru subsequently won re-election as Kirinyaga governor in 2022 on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket.
Her explanation offers insight into the political considerations behind her shift and helps explain why she has since become a vocal supporter of Ruto’s administration.
WAIGURU REVISITS THE NYS SCANDAL
Waiguru also reflected on the National Youth Service scandal which became a major controversy during her tenure as Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning.
She reportedly said she regretted not contacting the Directorate of Criminal Investigations when she believed a narrative was being built against her.
Waiguru described herself as naïve for expecting others to defend her during the controversy and said the experience was covered in her memoir.
The NYS scandal involved allegations of fraud and the loss of public funds. Waiguru resigned from the Cabinet in November 2015 amid the controversy and has denied wrongdoing in connection with the allegations.
Her latest remarks revisit a defining episode in her public service career and provide her own perspective on how she handled the accusations and the political pressure that followed.
WAIGURU POSITIONS HERSELF AHEAD OF THE 2027 ELECTION
The interview brought together several issues shaping Waiguru’s political outlook: her ambition to become Deputy President, her defence of Ruto’s record, the contest for influence in Mount Kenya and her doubts about the opposition’s ability to unite.
Her remarks on Sifuna focused on the difference between public visibility and the political organisation required to win a national election. Her comments on Gachagua highlighted the competition for leadership in Mount Kenya while her assessment of Kalonzo and Matiang’i pointed to the difficulties opposition leaders could face in negotiating a common presidential ticket.
For Waiguru, the coming election also presents an opportunity to move from county leadership to national office. Whether she will secure the Deputy President’s position will depend on Ruto’s decision and the political negotiations within the ruling coalition.
The interview offered a glimpse into how she views the emerging political contest although the claims she made about other leaders’ popularity and electoral prospects remain her own assessments.