Kirinyaga Governor, Anne Mumbi Waiguru, has addressed reports of joining the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), an outfit affiliated with Deputy President William Ruto.
Speaking on Spice FM on Monday, September 6, the governor neither agreed nor disputed the claims, noting that it was too early to divulge her next course of action.
She pointed out that the political tide may change depending on what Kenyans on the ground advocate for.
"I don't think it's the right time to have that conversation right now. I can't say I would, I can't say I would not. This is politics, but it's a bit early. Let's see what the ground looks like," she stated.
"I will be spending a lot of time on the ground, which will decide what direction I'll take. The decision will also be influenced by the seat that I will go for."
The governor also addressed her decision to take a backseat in politics and introspect on the way forward. She added that leaders and politicians alike ought to self-reflect before the 2022 General Election.
Alluding to this, she also affirmed that despite her resolute stance on advocating for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), the bill soon crumbled at the hands of the judicial system.
"The problem in leadership is that we keep going and never take time to think and take stock of where it is that you are at," she acknowledged.
"I have been at the forefront of BBI, I have stood with the handshake against all odds, I have stormed upstream in Mt Kenya, here we are. We have had two losses in the BBI," she noted.
Further, she questioned the tactics used by the BBI proponents in ramping support for the bill, noting that some of the methods were not effective as the bill may not have resonated with Kenyans in general.
"Secondly, what are the people on the ground saying? Because when you ask people what they thought about this thing (BBI), which was aimed at bringing more resources to counties."
"That message didn't seem to have trickled into their hearts. Is it the way we presented the message? You have to ask yourself these questions as a leader," she stated.
Waiguru recently accused the state of persecution after she expressed her disinterest in the revival of the BBI bill.
She also laid claim on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for conducting several raids at her offices and reviving past cases- alleging that all these were attempts to arm-twist her into complying with their demands.
