Ruto meets Charity Ngilu for the first time since 2022 election
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President Ruto praises Charity Ngilu for her great inspiration as they met for the first time since the 2022 general elections
President Ruto praises Charity Ngilu for her great inspiration as they met for the first time since the 2022 general elections.
President William Ruto claims that Charity Ngilu, the first governor of Kitui, has a unique place in the Kenyan history.
Speaking at the launch of the Council of Governors Women caucus referred to as the G7, Ruto claimed Ngilu was the first Kenyan woman to dare run for president.
He added that many of the modern women leaders are a result of her fearless spirit.
The president asked all female leaders to mentor the next generation of leaders, just as Mama Ngilu had mentored them.
“Ngilu occupies a special place in our country. She is the first woman to dare vie for president. Charity is many times hard on me but she is a great inspiration to many women across Kenya. Her daring spirit has inspired many of you who are women,” Ruto said.
“The mentorship Charity gave you please mentor others going into the future,”
Speaking at the same event, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja showered praises on the former Kitui Governor for setting the pace in women leadership in Kenya.
Sakaja said that Ngilu stood out as a beacon of hope for many women leaders.
“Thank you for paving the way for women’s leadership in Kenya. If it were not for you, many women governors wouldn’t have the courage to join politics,” he said.
Ngilu was first elected to represent the Kitui central constituency in 1992 and went on to serve the constituency until 2013.
In the 1997 general election, Ngilu sought to become Kenya’s first female president on a Social Democratic Party of Kenya ticket, finishing fifth behind the eventual winner, the late President Daniel Moi.
Later, she joined the National Party of Kenya.
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In the December 2002 general election, her party was part of the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC).
The coalition went on to win the elections, and President Mwai Kibaki appointed her as Minister of Health.
She was also appointed NARC chairperson.
Ngilu previously served as Minister for Health from 2003 until 2007 and Minister of Water and Irrigation from April 2008 to 2013.
She also served as Cabinet Secretary for Land, Housing, and Urban Development from 2013 until 2015 under Uhuru Kenyatta.
In 2017, she defeated then-incumbent Julius Malombe to become the governor of Kitui.
She, however, did not defend the seat in 2022.
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