Anne Waiguru speaks on relationship with Ruto

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has termed her relationship with Deputy President William Ruto as cordial and professional, insisting that the DP does not have to apologise for linking her to the loss of funds at the National Youth Service.

During an interview on a local TV station on Wednesday night, Ms Waiguru said she was not expecting an apology from the DP over his remarks in 2016 that she was the main suspect in the loss of Sh791 million at the youth agency.

WAIGURU

“There are things you do not carry for a lifetime and hold lightly. For instance, people will have perceptions based on the information they have. I have never personally discussed the issue with him. We have a good, cordial and professional relationship,” she said.

Mr Ruto once famously dismissed Ms Waiguru’s defence over her alleged involvement in the NYS scandal as mere “catwalk and kizungu mingi”.

“Kingereza mingi, mnatufanyia catwalk hapa around na ni wazi pesa ya umma imepotea, mwenye hiyo pesa anasema aliweka kwa gunia. Sasa kweli jameni dunia hii [You are catwalking for us and speaking a lot of English yet it’s clear public money has been stolen and the one who took it says she used a sack to carry it. This world!] Ruto lashed out at Ms Waiguru in 2016

Asked if she was angling to be Mr Ruto’s running mate in 2022, Ms Waiguru said the decision will be made by the party and its flagbearer in the presidential race.

RUNNING MATE

“About running mate, there isn’t a yes or no answer because that is not a decision I make. I am currently focusing on being Kirinyaga governor and issues of running mate will come later,” she said.

She added that the country was prepared to have a female deputy president.

The former Devolution Cabinet secretary defended her meeting with Mr Ruto at his Karen home a day after the controversial Ipsos Synovate poll results that ranked her as the second most corrupt person in Kenya, after the DP.

"The DP has been to Kirinyaga at least seven times even before the opinion poll. I think the DP is an extremely intelligent person and he knows how to make his assessment with regard to politics," he said.

The Karen meeting, she said, had been arranged a week earlier when the DP visited Kirinyaga county after MCAs requested to have a sit down with him.

EACC

Ms Waiguru also urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to release the findings of an audit conducted on her lifestyle, rubbishing claims she owns property worth billions.

“I would not mind the EACC releasing the audit on me. There have been a lot of stories on social media about my property. I do not own a building in Luthuli,” she said.

The county boss noted there was a sustained attack against her aimed at destroying her political career.

“Kenyans out there are brilliant people, they are not fooled by media and they do not buy the lies,” she said.

Hard pressed to disclose the names of those she claimed authored the Josephine Kabura affidavit that implicated her, Ms Waiguru said she would wait for the EACC to make public its investigations.