Anne Waiguru

Anne Waiguru
Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning
In office
15 May 2013 – 21 November 2015
President Uhuru Kenyatta
Personal details
Nationality Kenyan
Children 3
Alma mater University of Nairobi
Religion Christian

Anne Waiguru is a Kenyan who was nominated by President Uhuru Kenyatta as the first Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning on 25 April 2013.[1] She holds a master's degree in Economic Policy from the University of Nairobi, and, has specialized experience in finance, financial management systems, public service reform and capacity building, and, governance. She is behind establishment of huduma centres[2] and the 30% procurement rule.[3] Huduma centres [4] are stations where citizens seeking a wide array of services from government ranging from paying taxes, renewing driving licences, registering births, replacing identity cards etc can access them expeditiously while queuing in comfortable halls assisted by staff using electronic systems. These services are conveniently available at one point unlike previously when citizens had to visit many offices or buildings scattered in town or the city to get different government services.

The 30% procurement rule gives marginalized groups (the youth, women and people living with disabilities) an opportunity to supply the Kenyan government with goods and services, contrary to the past where such contracts were the preserve of an elite clique that excluded them, often with corrupt undertones.[2] Anne Waiguru has resigned from devolution ministry over corruption allegations under her watch.

Education

Waiguru attended Precious Blood Riruta High school then later sat her A-level exams in 1989 at the Moi Forces Academy in Nairobi after studying Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. Upon graduating from the University of Nairobi, she worked for Transparency International as an intern and research assistant, and then joined the Kenya Leadership Institute.[5] Waiguru holds a master's degree in Economic Policy from the University of Nairobi, and has specialized experience in public finance, financial management systems, public service reform, capacity building and governance.[6]

Career

Waiguru began her career in the public service by providing Technical Assistance to the Public Service Reform Secretariat in what was then the Cabinet Office. She then served as the Head of Governance and the Economic Stimulus Programme at the National Treasury, Alternate to the Permanent Secretary/National Treasury in the Public Procurement Oversight Authority and Advisory Board and the Women Enterprise Fund Board.[7] She was successfully nominated in 2011 as one of the Top 40 under 40 women in the country, the only nominee at the time from the Public Service.[8]

Waiguru was the Director, Integrated Financial Management and Information System (IFMIS), and, Head of Governance at the National Treasury. She served briefly as a Senior Public Sector Manager/Assistant Vice President, at Citi-group. Previously, sheserved as a Technical Advisor in the Cabinet Office, Office of the President on secondment from the World Bank.

Waiguru has served as the Alternate to the Permanent Secretary National Treasury in the Public Procurement Oversight Authority Advisory Board, and, the Women Enterprise Fund Board.

Corruption allegations

In September 2015, Waiguru was asked by the director of public prosecutions in Kenya to record statements about disappearance of Kshs 791M (which was approx USD 7.9M) from the coffers of the National Youth Service (NYS) which is a department in the ministry she heads.[9]

The Kenyan Parliamentary Accounts Committee found that the Devolution ministry, where she served as a Cabinet Secretary, spent KSh450,000 ($4500) for 18 custom-made condom dispensers. The ministry's asset register also revealed Sh1.7 million ($17000) was spent for an HD television set in Anne Waiguru's office and Sh12 million ($120000) for an office partition, in the 2013/2014 financial year.

The register, presented by the ministry's Principal Secretary Peter Mangiti, listed purchase of a copier at Sh1.5 million ($15000), while Sh1.9million ($19000) was spent for free downloadable Adobe software and Sh250,000 ($2500) for ten flashdisks/memory sticks.[10] These prices were perceived as ridiculous and highly inflated, sparking uproar in political quarters and among the Kenyan public. Headlines around the world, including those such as "sex toys listed among state assets" appeared, putting the spotlight on the unraveling scandal .

Facing a storm of calls to quit office from the opposition and some members of the government, Waiguru claimed that the allegations against her were personal attacks and pointed out that corruption is endemic in other ministries in the Kenyan government but the media was not pointing it out. She said in remarks posted on her Facebook page: "It's amazing that whereas there are similar and more serious allegations of misuse of funds in many government departments there is never the personalized level of attack on CBS (Cabinet Secretaries) that has been directed at me. Surely this is no longer about the fight against corruption".[11] In fact, President Uhuru Kenyatta had suspended and sacked 5 Cabinet secretaries before Waiguru's woes, all over allegations of corruption. In the public perception, her case was an incongruity presenting the picture that she was being spared while others were being dropped from Cabinet.

Despite demands for her sacking, President Uhuru Kenyatta and top government officials, including the Deputy President William Ruto and Majority leader Aden Duale stood by her, dismissing the allegations as propaganda advanced by the opposition. An attempt to introduce a motion for impeachment in the National Assembly was defeated through concerted pressure from forces aligned to the president.

References

  1. ↑ "Anne Waiguru CV". Nairobi: State House. 25 April 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  2. 1 2 "ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES (AGPO)". Youth Enterprise Development Fund. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "New procurement laws to spur economic growth". Business Daily. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "Kenya launches Huduma e-centre to cut bureaucracy". BBC Africa. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "Transition from Transparency International to Devolution ministry Waiguru's tale". Nation Media Group. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Ms. Ann Waiguru, School of Business". uonbi.ac.ke. University of Nairobi. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru- Beauty, Brains, Power!". Standard Digital Edition. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  8. ↑ "Anne Waiguru, O.G.W". The Presidency. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  9. ↑ "Police seek three more weeks to conclude NYS investigations". Business Daily. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  10. ↑ "Waiguru's office Sh1.7 million TV, Sh450,000 condom dispensers raise eyebrows | The Star". www.the-star.co.ke. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  11. ↑ "Anne Waiguru: I do not have TV screen worth Sh1.7m in my office". Standard Digital News. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
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