Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru. Photo/HandoutKirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has declared her intention to run for president in 2032, setting her sights on succeeding President William Ruto if he wins re-election in 2027.
Waiguru announced her ambition on Tuesday, days after declaring that she would seek to become Ruto’s running mate in next year’s presidential election.
The two-term governor and former Devolution Cabinet Secretary said she was determined to contest for the country’s top seat, even without the backing of other political leaders.
“Anne Mumbi Waiguru will be on the ballot for the President of the Republic of Kenya in 2032. Take that to the bank,” she declared.
“Even if I am going to be alone, the people of Kirinyaga know it,” she added.
Waiguru challenged the perception that the presidency and other senior political positions should remain the preserve of men, arguing that women possess the same leadership and mobilisation abilities as their male counterparts.
“What is it they have that I don’t have? Which journey have they walked that I haven’t? They can mobilise, I can. They can speak; I can speak. Whatever they can do, a woman can do better,” she said, drawing applause.
Her remarks came as political leaders position themselves for the 2027 elections, with the contest for the running mate position expected to shape succession politics within the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the broader Kenya Kwanza coalition.
Waiguru argued that women face greater scrutiny than men when expressing interest in senior political offices, questioning what she described as a double standard in the treatment of male and female aspirants.
“Men are okay when they come to our villages and say, ‘I want a Deputy President seat’; no one bothers with them,” she said.
“They will go around saying, ‘I want a PCS [Prime Cabinet Secretary] seat, I want a Speaker’s seat.’ But when a woman says, ‘I want a Deputy President position’, it becomes ‘Why’. The question is: ‘Why not?’”
Her declaration signals a longer-term political ambition that could shape her positioning in the Mt Kenya region, a key battleground in the 2027 presidential contest.
Waiguru was among the leaders from the region touted as possible replacements for former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua following his impeachment in October 2024.
Other names floated at the time included Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata and Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri. However, Ruto eventually appointed Kithure Kindiki to the position.
