- Waiguru defended her political record, arguing that the scandal should not continue to define her leadership, particularly after those implicated in the case faced prosecution.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has defended herself against criticism over the National Youth Service (NYS) corruption scandal, saying those who continue to bring it up years later are trying to tarnish her name.
Speaking on Citizen TV's Sunday Live, Waiguru defended her political record, arguing that the scandal should not continue to define her leadership, particularly after those implicated in the case faced prosecution.
“Everybody has got a stain. You know the true story about NYS, you know who was involved. They have prosecuted the people who were involved,” Waiguru said.
The Governor accused her critics of using the controversy to tarnish her reputation, questioning why the issue remained a subject of discussion years after it emerged.
“Anyone who brings up that story just wants to throw mud because they can’t find something. Fifteen years later, by now you should be having something else,” she said.
Waiguru’s remarks aimed at shifting attention from the scandal to her political record, as she cited her re-election as evidence of continued electoral support.
She noted that she had been elected as a Governor twice, describing herself as the first woman to win the position for a second term, proving her competence for leadership.
“I have been elected twice, the first woman governor to be elected twice,” she said.
The NYS scandal involved the loss of public funds at the NYS and triggered investigations and prosecutions.
The controversy attracted national attention during Waiguru’s tenure as Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning as monies between Ksh.791 million and Ksh.1.8 billion disappeared (with total pending claims or extensions running higher) from the Ministry.
Waiguru was elected Kirinyaga governor in 2017 and re-elected in 2022.