Women have proved that they have what it takes to clinch top political positions that were once perceived to be a preserve of men. Meru county has been the talk of the country after little known Kawira Mwangaza who was running on an independent ticket whitewashed political heavyweights Kiraitu Murungi and Senator Mithika Linturi to win the Meru county gubernatorial seat.
Here is her profile as told by WoK.
Background
Kawira Mwangaza was born and raised in the interior villages of Meru in Central Kenya. She attended CCM Ontulili Primary School before proceeding to Moyale Girls Secondary School where she sat for her KCSE examination in 1992. She joined Kampala International University in Uganda where she graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Education degree specializing in Guidance and Counseling. She holds two certificates in Human Resource Management from Meru University and Makerere University in Uganda.
Career Journey
She began her career journey in 2004 as a CEO at Mwangaza Distributors Limited until 2008. She was elected to the National Assembly as the Woman Representative for Meru County in the 2017 general elections. In 2018, she got married to popular musician and Pastor Robert Murega Rimberia alias Murega Baichu. The duo founded Kamankura Records which was later rebranded to Baite family, which operates Baite TV, Mwangaza TV and Baite Records. They also run the Baite Family Church where they both minister as pastors in their Sunday services that attract a large following on their online platforms and in person attendance.
Winning the gubernatorial race
After serving as Women Representative for one term, she decided that it is time to go for the county’s top seat in the 2022 general elections. Kawira Mwangaza vied for the governor seat in as independent candidate in a duel with political heavyweights like incumbent governor Kiraitu Murungi and UDA candidate Mithika Linturi. On Friday 12th August 2022, IEBC announced Mwangaza as the new Meru governor elect after garnering 209,148 votes. Linturi came second with 183,859 votes while the incumbent governor Kiraitu Murungi came third with 110,814 votes. Speaking to the press after receiving her certificate from the commission, Mwangaza thanked her supporters and vowed to unite the people of Meru County.
“I thank God for the victory and enabling us to win. Thank you for entrusting me with leadership of the county. I am assuring you that Meru will be the best county in Kenya,” she said.
Mwangaza becomes the fourth female governor elect in the 2022 general elections after Anne Waiguru of Kirinyaga, Susan Kihika of Nakuru and Gladys Wanga of Homa Bay counties.
