Kenya’s first women governors: Where are they?

By Peter Ochieng

The current constitution promulgated in 2010 introduced sweeping changes in the country’s leadership structure, with more leaders being elected under the devolved system of governance.

Under the previous constitution, Kenyans only elected the President, Members of Parliament (MPs) and the councilors.

Other positions – governor, senator and women representative were introduced under the new constitutional dispensation, with the Member of County Assembly (MCA) replacing the position of councilor.

The country conducted the first general election under the 2010 constitution in 2013. No woman was elected governor that year.

In 2017, three women won gubernatorial contests after surviving numerous hurdles erected in their way during the electioneering period.   

Who are the trailblazing women and where are they?

1. Anne Waiguru

When retired president Uhuru Kenyatta formed his first cabinet in 2013, little known Anne Waiguru was appointed the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for devolution.

A National Youth Service (NYS) scandal however rocked her ministry, forcing her to resign from her position. The time spent out of cabinet was not in vain, as she carefully planned to contest and won the Kirinyaga County gubernatorial race in 2017.

She beat four other contestants, including the incumbent at that time, Joseph Ndathi.

In 2017, Waiguru was elected again for her second and final term – making her the first woman governor to be reelected.

She served as Council of Governors chairperson for two terms until 2024, the first woman governor to hold the position.

2. Charity Kaluki Ngilu

Like Waiguru in Kirinyaga, the NARC party leader defeated an incumbent in the Kitui county gubernatorial race, in 2017.

Charity Ngilu beat Julius Malombe in 2017 to become Kitui’s second county boss. Malombe however made a strong comeback in 2022, defeating Ngilu for his second term in office.

During her time in office as governor, she made some controversial and otherwise popular decisions, including banning sand harvesting and the burning and transportation of charcoal in the county in a bid to foster environmental conservation.

She slid into private life, after failing to recapture her seat in 2022.

3. Joyce Cherono Laboso     

Joyce Laboso did not finish her first term as Bomet governor. She died in 2019, two years after beating incumbent Isaac Rutto in the gubernatorial race.

According to her husband, Edwin Abonyo, she had survived cancer for 28 years before the disease took a toll on her, leading to her death on July 29, 2019 aged 58.

She previously served as Sotik MP before being elected governor in 2017. Upon her death, her former deputy, Hillary Barchok took over for the remainder of the term.

Barchok was reelected in 2022.