This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
On August 16, 2019, Kirinyaga County Governor Anne Waiguru spoke about her relationship with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during an interview on KTN TV.
Waiguru revealed that she has a close friendship with Odinga, describing him as a 'political ally' who engages in 'serious talks' with her.
'Raila Odinga is my friend, he is my political ally. We discuss serious talks. We had a history but we settled that,' Waiguru said.
She also praised Odinga's commitment to gender equality, citing his support for women's empowerment and his willingness to stand with women.
'One thing I have admired about Raila Odinga is his understanding and support for gender equality. He is one leader who is willing to stand with women,' Waiguru said.
Waiguru also commended the Building Bridges Initiative, which she believes has brought cohesion and unity to the nation.
'We were at a very bad state as a country in 2017. Thanks to the handshake, cohesion and unity have been embraced by Kenyans. I needed to let Raila know that I support his handshake with Uhuru,' Waiguru said.
However, Waiguru criticized any attempts by politicians to divide Kenyans, citing the alleged assassination plot against Deputy President William Ruto as an example.
'You cannot wake up and only choose to claim that leaders in the Mount Kenya region wanted to assassinate you. How do 40 people meet in a room to plan a murder? This was a strategy to divide us and we cannot accept that,' Waiguru stated.
When asked about her ambitions to run for a higher political seat in 2022, Waiguru said she is qualified and willing to serve, but emphasized that any decision would be made by the Jubilee Party.
