By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, December 12 2025 - Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru used this year’s Jamhuri Day celebrations to make an unmistakably political pitch: repositioning the county from a sleepy transit corridor into a high-value tourism hub.
Her message, delivered at Wang’uru Girls Senior School on December 12, signals a shift in the county’s development narrative and hints at broader political calculations ahead of the midterm period.
At the centre of her remarks is the Kirinyaga County Local Tourism Bill, 2025, a proposed legal framework to formalize and regulate a sector Waiguru argues has outgrown ad-hoc management.
Waiguru framed the bill as a strategic instrument to “give Kirinyaga a structured path to grow tourism.” She also subtly pressed the County Assembly to fast-track its passage.
The bill is ambitious: it proposes commercialization of cultural assets, expansion of sports tourism, stricter regulation of tourism enterprises, and incentives to court private investors. Politically, it offers Waiguru a platform to redefine county priorities around economic diversification an agenda likely to bolster her legacy and influence within the Mt. Kenya bloc.
Waiguru’s speech highlighted Kirinyaga’s natural capital—from forest trails and river ecosystems to the county’s advantageous proximity to Mt. Kenya. She cited growing activity along the Sagana River, where rafting, kayaking, canoeing, and zip-lining are beginning to reshape the local adventure-tourism profile.
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A cluster of waterfalls, Kamweti, Gatitika, Rwamuthambi, Karumandi, and Njine Kabia—alongside cultural sites like Ndaraca ya Ngai, Thingira Cultural Centre, and Murinduko Hill, were presented as emerging magnets for domestic travellers seeking hiking, cycling, and cultural experiences.
Infrastructure, a perennial political battleground in the region, formed another pillar of her pitch. Waiguru pointed to improved road networks, upgraded towns, enhanced water access, and more than 160 hospitality establishments as evidence that the county is ready to compete for domestic and eco-tourism traffic.
Her reference to the Sagana Industrial City—which includes an Export Processing Zone, a Special Economic Zone, and the County Aggregation and Industrial Park—revealed a broader economic strategy. She positioned the mega-project as an engine not only for manufacturing and job creation but also for hospitality growth and agro-tourism, linking industrial expansion to the service sector in a way that underscores her administration’s narrative of integrated development.
Politically, the governor’s agenda appears to have institutional backing. County Assembly Speaker Muteti Murimi signaled that the tourism bill will be prioritized when the assembly reconvenes after Christmas—an indication that Waiguru’s legislative coalition remains intact.
As the festive season begins, Waiguru issued a public invitation to Kenyans to sample Kirinyaga’s food culture, outdoor adventures, and natural attractions. Beyond the soft sell, the invitation also reinforces a strategic message: Kirinyaga is no longer content to remain in the shadows of its larger neighbours and is staking a claim in Kenya’s competitive tourism and investment landscape.
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