Waiguru rallies UDA members for grassroots polls

Speaking during a briefing with UDA grassroots mobilizers, aspirants and election agents, Waiguru said the party was fully prepared to conduct a fair, credible and transparent exercise at polling-station level across the county.

Winners at that level will form the delegates who will elect constituency delegates, who will in turn elect UDA’s national delegates.

The elections she said would also re-affirm her leadership of the party in the county and strengthen the ruling party ahead of the 2027 General Election.

She exuded confidence that candidates aligned to her camp would sweep the grassroots polls, putting to rest what she termed as false claims of party supremacy by rival factions within UDA. 

“We are ready. We have a clear command structure and a tallying centre to ensure the process is above board and that the results truly reflect the will of UDA members,” Waiguru said. “I urge everyone to uphold unity, respect and integrity throughout the exercise.”

Without naming individuals, Waiguru took aim at some elected leaders who have been laying claim to UDA leadership in the county despite her being the sitting governor elected on the party’s ticket in 2022.

“I am the undisputed leader of UDA in this county. No one can operate from behind closed doors and assume they are leading the party here,” she said, adding that the grassroots elections would make it clear “who the real UDA leader in the county is.”

Beyond the internal party contest, Waiguru framed the elections as a critical step in consolidating UDA’s grip on the Mt Kenya region and securing President William Ruto’s re-election in 2027. She argued that the region must remain firmly in government to protect and advance its interests.

“This government is ours. It was made with our sweat, our votes, our money and our power,” Waiguru said. “We woke up early to make sure it was put in place. When we voted, we did so in our self-interest and bargained for what would benefit our region.”

She said continued participation in government was already yielding tangible dividends, citing ongoing national government projects in Kirinyaga and the wider region, including roads and affordable housing.

Waiguru also pointed to what she described as strong representation of the region at the national level, with nine of the 21 Cabinet Secretaries and more than 20 Principal Secretaries drawn from Mt Kenya.

“This relationship with government is not a love affair; it is about defending the interests of our people,” she said.

The governor strongly criticised the former Deputy President for, as she put it, moving around the region, urging people to abandon the government without offering a clear or credible alternative.

“We don’t want slogans; we want development. We are a two-term region,” Waiguru said. “Just as we gave Presidents Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta two terms each, we must give President Ruto two terms so that he can fully implement his agenda.”

She warned that voting out the current administration in 2027 would push the region further away from national leadership, saying it could take “twenty to thirty years” before Mt Kenya regains the presidency.

Waiguru’s position was echoed by Kirinyaga Central MP Gachoki Gitari, who declared his unwavering support for President Ruto and his development agenda for the region. County Assembly Speaker Muteti Murimi also called for unity within UDA and affirmed Waiguru as the legitimate party leader in Kirinyaga.

“We will do whatever it takes to ensure that the team genuinely supporting President Ruto carries the day in the grassroots elections,” Murimi said.

More than 20 Members of the County Assembly attended the meeting, all of whom pledged to rally behind Waiguru and President Ruto as the party heads into the crucial grassroots polls.