Former Devolution Cabinet Secretary (CS) Anne Waiguru on Tuesday surprised Kenyans after winning the Kirinyaga Jubilee gubernatorial ticket.
Many, however, wondered how she rose to be the top contender for the seat with the dark cloud of the National Youth Service (NYS) saga still hanging over her.
It has now emerged that Ms Waiguru's win came from a well-laid out strategy which she employed to win the hearts of Kirinyaga residents.
First, she is said to have teamed up with aggressive Woman Representative aspirant Wangui Ngirichi, who helped popularise her candidature.
Ms Ngirichi who is known for her flamboyant lifestyle is believed to have publicised Waiguru through her campaigns carried out in choppers and well-branded campaign materials.
According to reports, Ngirichi also brought in resources and political network that were very crucial in propelling the former CS to the top.
Waiguru and the woman rep aspirant then teamed up with Kirinyaga Jubilee Chairman John Mithamo who helped consolidate votes from Ndia constituency which was considered a swing area.
They then created a formidable force making them the crème de la crème of Kirinyaga and proved too hard for competitors to beat.
Ms Waiguru has previously battled allegations of involvement in the NYS scandal in which the government is said to have lost more than Sh1.6 Billion through fraudulent deals.
Waiguru won the nominations with 100,632 votes with incumbent Governor Joseph Ndathi coming in a distant third with less than 20,000.
She will now face off with among others, former Gichugu legislator Martha Karua who is vying for the seat on her Narc-Kenya ticket.
