Anne Mumbi Waiguru has explained why she left the Jubilee Party for the UDA.
On Tuesday, the county boss who is seeking to retain her seat said she could not express herself while in the ruling party.
“I feel very free now and much happier where I am,” she said.
In the deputy President William Ruto’s turf, she said, there is no political infighting and the members are on the same page.
In Jubilee, however, agreeing on matters like the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) was a daunting task.
“[Currently], we [in UDA] are not in Government; we are sort of in the opposition. Back then, we were in power and we had different people pulling in different directions,” she said.
The former CS for Devolution also stated that she was frustrated during her days in the ruling party as she could not air her opinion.
“It was quite frustrating. I felt caged and very restricted. We couldn’t even say that there was a problem within the party. I am very glad to be out of the party now,” Waiguru said.
Asked why she chose to decamp from the head of state’s party, Waiguru said her decision was influenced by the electorate.
She also expressed her confidence in this party’s leader, who she described as a hands-on person. On the matter of her party’s choice of running-mate, the chairwoman said she hopes they will pick a woman, but she would be happier if they chose her.
“I think it will be a great honor to be picked as running mate for the UDA party but right now all my efforts are in Kirinyaga County,” she said.
However, she maintained that the deputy president’s post is at this moment reserved for a candidate from the vote-rich Mt Kenya region.
“We all know the numbers that come from there. The basic understanding is that the running mate will come from that region because you want to carry the block,” she stated.
Waiguru joined the DP Ruto-led party in October 2021, and her competitor Wangui Ngirici left the party after allegations of favoritism.
