When Sabina Chege was robbed of joy and the teary aftermath

As a radio broadcaster, she was known for little or zero controversy. But after joining politics in 2013 as Murang’a Woman representative, Sabina Wanjiru Chege has been courting one controversy after another.

From declaring her interest to be DP William Ruto’s 2022 running mate, to being mentioned in Wazir Chacha scandal, pushing for castration of rapists and now crying for her undying love for President Uhuru Kenyatta’s work, Ms Chege has always been in the news for polemical remarks.

WOMEN LEADERS

But her firm support for Dr Ruto’s presidency seems to have shifted after joining a group of women leaders calling itself Team Embrace that is pro-handshake.

During a rally in Kandara last week, the self-proclaimed ‘maitu wa county’ (mother of the county) was humbled by her constituents who jeered her while chanting pro-Ruto slogans.

She had to cut short her speech due to the noise. When she returned to the podium, with a handkerchief in her hand, she beseeched the constituents not to embarrass her in front of guests as she also implored on them to rally behind the Kenyatta-Odinga handshake.

She broke town in tears while making that passionate plea. Her tears sparked debate with MPs Rigathi Gachagua and Jane Kihara, saying Ms Chege ought to have known that all politics is local, and such resistance was predictable.

EMOTIONAL LOVE

She has since denied being heckled and instead explained that she cried “after getting emotional for the love of the President.”

The journey of the former actress at the Kenya National Theatre to parliament has been long and illustrious.

But before her sojourn in mainstream media, she had featured in music videos and TV shows. She appeared as a video vixen for Kikuyu benga musician John De’Mathew in a song called Njata Yakwa. Ms Chege also appeared in the once popular TV show Tausi as Rehema.

She became a household name in central Kenya as a presenter in Kikuyu vernacular radio stations — Kameme and Coro — for her passion to address political, socio-economic and development issues.

She rode on that fame and helping women groups start empowerment programmes to become the first Women representative for Murangá in 2013.

WOO VOTERS

During her re-election campaign, another radio broadcaster Waithira Muithirania gave the MP a run for her money forcing her to apply all strategies in the book to woo voters.

In the 2018 scandal of Mr Chacha — the man accused of faking her identity and conning MPs and senior government officials — Ms Chege vehemently denied having any contact with the youthful man.

She challenged the young man to release the videos he was reported to have boasted to police about showing his encounters with more than a dozen legislators.

On April 4, 2018, she retorted angrily to a Twitter user named Romano, @RomanowaRomano, who sarcastically asked her about Mr Chacha.

The MP had posted a photo of herself and other officials planting trees in Murang’a County.

POWERFUL COMMITTEES

“Murang’a goes green. Mashinani Maneno’s,” Sabina wrote, but the Twitter user responded in Kikuyu asking ‘Kau ni Chacha kehau kana ni maitho ndiraira (Is that Chacha or do I have an eye problem?).

But she hit back at the Twitter user saying ‘uria nyukwa (ask your mother).

Love or hate her, Ms Chege’s record in the National Assembly speaks for itself. She always serves in powerful committees. In the first term, she served as the chair of Parliamentary Committee for Education and upon re-election, she is chairing the health committee — positions that she has served with commitment.