Women plot ‘coup’ on Kiambu leadership, two likely to win big seats

What you need to know:

  • Ms Kibe, who cut her teeth as a vernacular radio presenter at Kameme FM, was nominated to the County Assembly by Jubilee in the last elections and successfully used that experience as‎ her launch-pad to the bigger seat — Member of Parliament.
  • The other female MP is Ms Alice Ng'ang'a of Thika Town who emerged winner from a bruising battle with male rivals to clinch the ticket for a second term in the National Assembly where she is one of the outspoken MPs.

Kiambu County is almost certain to have two female Members of Parliament, just like in 2013.

This has been given a boost by the entry of a newcomer into the region’s politics, emerging from Gatundu North.

Former radio broadcaster Anne Wanjiku Kibe, popularly known as Wanjiku Wa Kibe, has made a dramatic entry into the region’s politics after she gave her male competitors a thorough beating in the recent Jubilee Party nominations .

Ms Kibe, who cut her teeth as a vernacular radio presenter at Kameme FM, was nominated to the Kiambu County Assembly by Jubilee in the last elections and successfully used that experience as‎ her launch-pad to the bigger seat — that of member of parliament.

And given that the county is basically a Jubilee stronghold, the soft-spoken MCA could be headed to making history as the first woman MP for Gatundu North, President Uhuru Kenyatta's stronghold.

LOST BID

It will be a welcome win as it would at least raise to two, the number of women in the county headed to the National Assembly in the August 8 elections, after Ms Esther Gathogo, the current Ruiru MP, lost her bid for a second term on a Jubilee ticket.

The other female MP is Ms Alice Ng'ang'a of Thika Town who emerged winner from a bruising battle with male rivals to clinch the ticket for a second term in the National Assembly where she is one of the outspoken MPs.

Ruiru's Ms Gathogo lost her comeback bid to businessman Ng'ang'a Kang'ara who was facing her for the second time.

RESOUNDING WIN

Ms Kibe garnered 10,169 votes to beat incumbent MP Kigo Njenga who got 9,589 votes.

The MP ‎has been grappling with allegations of misappropriation of the Constituency Development Fund kitty following a damning report by the Auditor-General.

Others whom Ms Kibe, a mother of two, sent home included a former MP Clement Waibara who got 9,344 votes and former Kiambu county chief officer in charge of public administration, Dominic Gicheru who came a distant fourth.

Mr Kigo will be defending his seat as an independent candidate, but Ms Kibe who has had to endure all manner of propaganda by her opponents, says she is unmoved and is confident of a win.

She is the only MCA in the county to successfully rise the political ladder during the primaries that saw 82 of her colleagues in the assembly rejected by voters.

The 41-year old Ms Kibe appears to have won the hearts of Gatundu North residents with her manifesto which those interviewed say addresses their concerns.

Gatundu North Jubilee Party nominee Wanjiku Wa Kibe celebrates after being declared the winner of the constituency's ticket in the recent primaries. She says her vision is to raise the rating of Gatundu North in terms of development by 2022 by bringing meaningful and sustainable change. PHOTO | MARY WAMBUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

ACTIVE IN ASSEMBLY

Ms Kibe, who has been active in the Kiambu County Assembly, was born in Mang'u Ward in Gatundu North and schooled at St Francis Girls High School Mang'u, one of the leading girls’ schools in central Kenya, and later went Kenyatta University for a degree in education.

She also has a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Nairobi.

She currently chairs the Kiambu County Assembly ICT, Communication and Innovations Committee besides being the chairperson of the women organisation in the assembly.

She made her presence felt in her constituency once he joined the county assembly by championing projects such as water supply, both for domestic use and for irrigation.

Ms Kibe has been involved in motivation and mentorship programmes in various primary and secondary schools in Gatundu North, which she says she will continue doing if elected MP. PHOTO | COURTESY

She championed for the overhaul of the Nyamang'ara-Mukurwe-Mukuyuini (Nyamuku) irrigation water project by the county government in a bid to ensure sufficient supply of water to farmers.

In the assembly, she successfully moved a motion on post-rape care and another one for the formation of a county broadcasting unit.

She has also been involved in motivation and mentorship programmes in various primary and secondary schools in Gatundu North, which she says she will continue doing if elected MP.

She says her vision is to raise the rating of Gatundu North in terms of development by 2022 by bringing meaningful and sustainable change.

Ms Kibe says she is confident that through her guiding integrity, accountability, openness, public participation, equity, resource mobilisation and networking, she will make Gatundu North shine out.

ALICE NG'NG'A

Former Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu, MPs Alice Ng'ang'a (Thika) and Jude Njomo (Kiambu Town) address a crowd in Kiambu Town during a past rally. PHOTO | ERIC WAINAINA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

In the neighbouring Thika Constituency, the abrasive 41-year-old Ms Ng'ang'a survived a bruising competition staged by businessmen Patrick Wainaina, popularly known as Jungle‎, derived from his Thika-based macadamia processing plant, Jungle Nut, and Morris Mburu who was trying his luck for a second time.

Ms Ng'ang'a, a fierce critic of Mr Kabogo, garnered 15,880 votes against Mr Wainaina's 14,731 to clinch the Jubilee Party ticket for the seat.

However, the businessman cried foul, saying he was rigged out, and is back in the race as an independent.

But Ms Ng'ang'a says she is not moved by Mr Wainaina's re-entry and is ready to face him, exuding confidence she will emerge victor.

She says her popularity notwithstanding, her development record speaks for her and the fact that she is in the "right party".

COMEBACK

In Gatundu South, Ms Joyce Ngugi, wife of former MP Jossy Ngugi, who died in 2014 after serving for only a few months after election, failed in her bid to uproot incumbent MP Moses Kuria for the second time.

At the Kiambu County Assembly, despite the race attracting a huge number of women, only two women won the Jubilee Party ticket, compared to five in the 2013 elections.

The assembly's minority leader Cecilia Wamaitha from Gatuanyaga Ward who in 2013 braved the The National Alliance (TNA) wave to be elected on a Farmers Party ticket affirmed her popularity to make a comeback.‎

Ms Jackeline Nungari, a nominated MCA, pulled a surprise after she successfully kicked out Deputy Speaker Anthony Macharia, a seasoned politician who has represented the Bibirioni Ward in Limuru for years.

Ms Nungari who was seeking an elective post for the first time, says women seeking leadership in politics need to be embraced, instead of being intimidated and hurdles thrown on their way.

The MCA says women are always subjected to insults, threats and mistreatment by their male counterparts, as they seek elective offices and urged voters to support female candidates.

“Come out in large numbers and support women who have a vision and can push for their agendas in both national and regional governments,” she appealed.