Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru giving an address on devolution at Chatham House in London on July 4, 2018. She is the third Kenyan politician to speak at the prestigious forum after President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga. PHOTO | COURTESY 
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has lauded measures introduced by President Uhuru Kenyatta to fight graft and abuse of office by public officials.
Ms Waiguru, who is the Council of Governors vice-chair, said the lifestyle audit ordered by the President is a big step forward in ending looting of public resources.
“A huge problem in Kenyan politics is the pressure from families that want to benefit from their relatives in office. This is why the President has rightly opted for the audit,” said Ms Waiguru at Chatham House in United Kingdom on Wednesday.
She, however, said there is a danger that the fight against corruption may be politicised and used by individuals to harm their rivals because structures put in place to ensure accountability in the country are weak.
MARGINALISED
“But the new Constitution was a key step forward,” she told the audience.
She observed that social media can be a key tool in the fight for greater transparency, but citizens need civic education so they can demand accountability in government.
In a talk titled “Five Years of Devolution in Kenya: Towards Inclusion, Gender Equality and Accountable Governance”, Ms Waiguru addressed the successes and challenges of implementing devolution in Kenya.
On women’s rights and participation in politics and leadership, Ms Waiguru told the forum Kenya is on the right track, as seen in the 2017 elections.
However, she observed Kenya is still lagging behind other countries in East Africa on women’s representation, including Rwanda and Tanzania
“There were many challenges for me running for governor’s seat as a woman. But I knew that my campaign would have a wider significance for Kenyan women and girls who have traditionally been marginalised in politics,” she said.
MANDATES
“I am determined that after the next election, we will have at least 11 women governors in office. The problem with seeking support from male governors on this is that they think we are after their seats,” she told the audience.
And having been the first Cabinet Secretary for Devolution, Ms Waiguru admitted the first few years of devolution have not been easy.
“Initially there was contestation between central and devolved governments, as well as within county governments over mandates and functions,” she said.
She lauded Jubilee government, saying it remains committed to making devolution work.
“Central government assistance to counties has included capacity building, developing model laws, and conducting institutional reviews to ensure skills are matched to mandates,” she said.
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