The woman who dared: Faith Gitau readies to battle for Nyandarua top seat
Nyandarua Woman Representative Faith Gitau at Mutomo in Kitui County on June 9, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Faith Wairimu Gitau, Nyandarua’s two-term woman representative, is eyeing the governor’s seat in 2027—a bold move in a race dominated by men.
- From her early days at the UN and Unesco to her grassroots mobilisation in politics, Gitau’s career is a mix of courage, controversy and community impact.
- Her affirmative action work has empowered youth, women and persons with disabilities, but her assertive style and political independence have earned her strong opponents.
After her second term as Nyandarua woman representative, Faith Wairimu Gitau will be contesting the governorship—a race dominated by men. At least five men are aspiring to the seat, but she is confident that her grassroots networks and political experience will make her a formidable contender.
This is not the first time she has taken a major risk. Faith is accustomed to overcoming tough political situations and navigating complex circumstances. Born in Simbara, Ndaragua, she attended Simbara Primary School and later Ndaragua Secondary School, a few kilometres from her home. In 2003, she joined Washington University, graduating in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences.
Before joining politics, Faith worked with the United Nations Human Rights Commission, rising from senior staff assistant to senior community services assistant, and later joined Unesco as an administrator—roles that gave her both exposure and resilience. In an interview, she said she will not defend her current seat but will instead vie for a higher office.
Read: 'Teaching prepares you to lead, listen and communicate effectively': Dr Ombaka's rise to leadership
“My political journey has had some encouraging moments and many heartbreaking ones. But I have never contemplated quitting. I will not defend the seat. Nyandarua voters have persuaded me to go for governor. I have heard them; I will allow others to contest the woman representative position,” Faith says.
She has had to contend with insults, falsehoods, and smear campaigns from her detractors. “Politics is not for the faint-hearted. I have seen it all. But one thing I love about it is that it gives me an opportunity to serve. It is encouraging and fulfilling to hear beneficiaries tell how I changed their lives. Such confessions energise me—the success stories of lives I’ve touched overshadow the noise from my critics.”
The success stories from the youth, women, persons with disabilities, orphans, and other vulnerable groups keep her motivated. “Through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund, I have seen orphans who had dropped out of school return to class. Many of these children are now graduates, serving as motivation to others. Some are already working. That is what leadership is all about—changing lives.”
Her lowest moments come when affirmative action funds are delayed, causing needy children to miss school or slowing down community projects and economic empowerment initiatives such as agricultural value addition. She has had to deal with the misconception that the woman representative’s role is limited to women and children. “I have had to organise and support men’s empowerment programmes and groups. Initially, most men were uncomfortable attending my forums or applying for support from the affirmative action fund, but the narrative is changing. We now have more men visiting my office for assistance.”
Faith is deliberate about engaging her male constituents through a men’s empowerment and mentorship programme that she runs in collaboration with the clergy and professional counsellors. She insists that the position of woman representative should not be abolished. “The work of a woman rep is social—supporting the sick, distributing food and water tanks to the needy, helping persons with disabilities, and paying school fees for children from extremely poor families or orphans. These services are best offered by women representatives. We need to protect this office because it handles unique cases that other government departments cannot.”
Agnes Kamundia, who has known and worked with Faith since 2012 when she contested the Ndaragua parliamentary seat, describes her as a determined woman who does not give up easily. “Ms Gitau (Faith) is tough and stands firm on what she believes in. She doesn’t hold grudges; if you offend her, she lets it go. She is generous and always ready to serve. Some have fought her politically, but she still supports them when they are in need. She has a passion for service.”
Agnes adds that Faith has retained her campaign team and employees for years—something rare among politicians. “Even those who work with her have come to admire her nature. You might disagree today, but tomorrow she has already moved on. She has retained her core campaign team since 2012 when she joined politics. She knows how to handle people.”
Agnes recalls that despite losing the Ndaragua parliamentary race in 2013, Faith never stopped her charitable work. Those efforts made her popular with residents, and by 2017, she had become a household name, winning the woman representative seat against Wanjiku Muhia and Monicah Mucheke. Her victory was hard-earned. After winning the Jubilee Party nomination, her certificate was revoked when Wanjiku challenged the outcome at the Political Parties Tribunal, which nullified her win. The battle went up to the Court of Appeal, which ruled in her favour and compelled the Jubilee Party to issue her the certificate. “Faith Gitau won the party primary because she remained on the ground supporting the community after losing in the previous elections,” Agnes notes.
Faith was among the first politicians from the Mt Kenya region to defy former President Uhuru Kenyatta and back then Deputy President William Ruto. She took an early risk by mobilising residents to support the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and its presidential candidate, Dr Ruto. She was also the first politician to open a UDA county office in Nyandarua—a move that earned her favour with national party officials, including Dr Ruto. She was later appointed UDA county patron. Within UDA, she became influential, playing a key role in the election of most party leaders in Nyandarua. The only position she lost was that of governor. Her preferred candidate, Dr Njoroge Muchiri—now Nairobi’s deputy governor—lost the nomination to Governor Kiarie Badilisha.
Although Faith supported Badilisha after the UDA nomination, she has never fully embraced his leadership. The strained relationship between them is said to have slowed down development projects, with some residents accusing her of frustrating the county executive. “In a recent incident, the woman representative sabotaged the issuance of milk cooling plants. The governor had lobbied intensively with President Ruto and other leaders to have the equipment delivered, but Ms Gitau stopped the exercise at the last minute, claiming it was her initiative. She is engaged in a supremacy battle with the governor, which is frustrating many development efforts,” says King’ori Karitho, a youth leader.
But Faith maintains that national government projects should be credited to her and the other five MPs from Nyandarua. But some residents differ. James Kanyuera, a local, accuses Faith of mobilising MPs against the county government. “The sabotage is an injustice not only to the governor but also to residents, who are the main beneficiaries of these projects.”
However, Jackson Mwangi, a village elder in Leshau Pondo, defends her, saying she has delivered where others failed. “We are beneficiaries of her projects. The latest is the electrification programme she initiated. Almost all schools have water tanks donated by Ms Gitau. Bursary issuance in her office is transparent. Those fighting her are politicians without a development record.”
Mary Nyokabi, a member of the Nyandarua West Persons with Disability Association, also supports Faith’s office. “We benefitted from her support. She provided us with bakery equipment that created jobs for our members. Our association, with over 200 members, has invested profits in dairy farming. A few months ago, we visited a youth group in Kinangop engaged in milk value addition—another initiative she supported,” she says.
Winfer Mukami, 25, suggests that the woman representative’s office should be devolved to enhance impact. “We should have a woman representative elected at both the Senate and county assembly levels to reflect the spirit of affirmative action. This would reduce the workload. Nominated MCAs for gender often serve party interests rather than the public,” she argues.
Kepha Mwangi, 30, believes the title “woman representative” is discriminatory. “I have never benefitted from the office. Most beneficiaries are women. The position should be retained but renamed ‘gender representative’. Affirmative action funds should also allocate a portion to men, including young men. As it is, the office seems biased,” he says.
Another challenge Faith faces stems from her vote supporting the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who branded Mt Kenya MPs traitors. After the impeachment, residents expected Faith to lobby for more projects and completion of stalled works, including the Kinja, Pesi, St Martin’s and Malewa dams. She insists, however, that her vote had nothing to do with development lobbying. “I supported the impeachment because the former DP had launched personal attacks on me and on other leaders. He turned against us after we refused to back his agenda to undermine President Ruto’s government,” she explains.
Faith believes her record as woman representative has inspired residents to back her bid for governor in 2027. “I will use my political experience and my NGO background to establish an effective, consultative, and inclusive county government,” she says.
She argues that previous governors failed to address the county’s irrigation and domestic water challenges despite its proximity to key catchment areas. She plans to prioritise industrialisation, agribusiness, and access to affordable healthcare. Faith—a fierce, polarising figure in the county—is admired and criticised in equal measure. Her charisma and mobilisation power make her a force in Nyandarua politics. Her next move could reshape the county’s political future.
