When Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko openly supported Kalonzo Musyoka for the presidency in 2022 on Saturday, he caught most Kenyans by surprise given that he is a Jubilee party beneficiary.
The venue of the declaration was Sonko’s rural home in Mua, Machakos County and this has set political tongues in Jubilee and Ukambani politics abuzz.
The Wiper Democratic Movement Leader and a number of other leaders attended the third anniversary celebrations of Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko’s late Father Gideon Kioko at his Mua farm, Machakos County.
But a little detail could not escape keen eyes. Curiously present among the leaders at the anniversary was Mrs Agnes Kagure Kariuki, the veteran business executive who has been nominated for the position of deputy governor for Nairobi County Government.
It not clear whether her presence at the event was a coincidence but political observers are interpreting it as a strong signal from Sonko, who has been leading without a deputy since January when Polycarp Igathe quit in a huff.
Mrs Kariuki has been nominated alongside three other who include former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru and lawyers Karen Nyamu and Jane Weru. It is expected that one of these women will take over the deputy governor position.
It is telling that the other three candidates for the post did not attend the function, which was Mrs Kariuki, a renowned insurance executive, business woman, and a gender activist, knows too well that her presence was pregnant with meaning. She is seen mingling with the Ukambani political elite including Sonko and Musyoka.
Mrs Kariuki is the founder and Managing Principal of the Insurance Consulting Group (ICG), an independent insurance agency in Kenya. Before founding ICG, she was the Executive Financial Advisor at CfC Stanbic. In 2011, she was named in the Top 40 Women Under 40, an annual list of women who have risen to occupy positions of influence in Kenya before the age of 40.
Mrs Kariuki is still basking her new position as the patron of the Kenya University Students’ Organisation (KUSO), following elections held on July 8 in Nairobi. She recently added a feather to her cap by receiving the prestigious award of peace ambassador by the King of Thailand this year.
With such strong credentials, she is seen as a front-runner in the race for Nairobi City County Deputy Governor, a key position that calls for executive skills than political experience.
-kahawatungu.com
