Veronica Maina: Why Uhuru forced me out of party office
Senator Veronica Maina addresses a press conference at Parliament Buildings on December 5, 2023, regarding gender-based violence.
What you need to know:
- Veronica Maina says that despite her role in building the Jubilee Party, she was pushed out of the secretary general position ahead of the 2017 General Election.
- The UDA-nominated lawmaker says she was soon forgotten after the party won the election, and that left her heartbroken so much that she nearly quit politics.
Had she not been edged out of her position as secretary general of the Jubilee Party to pave the way for former Rarieda Member of Parliament Raphael Tuju a few months to the August 2017 General Election, nominated Senator Veronica Maina would have set a record – one that would have taken years to break.
Ms Maina would have been the first female secretary general (SG) of a political party to steer two Kenyans to the presidency.
Nonetheless, she has secured her spot in the annals of history as the first woman to propel a political party to victory in a highly contested presidential election, which saw Dr William Ruto, the leader of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), become president.
In the lead-up to the 2017 elections, Ms Maina bowed out of her position a month to the Jubilee Party primaries after then President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was using the party to seek a second term, asked her to step aside for Mr Tuju "to give the party the image of Kenya”.
“The President informed me that Tuju was to take up my position, and I humbly accepted. I think because I come from a professional background, my approach to politics is slightly different, though I must admit that I've learned a lot.
“I'm one of the people who don't believe in the use of force to get things done. Civility should always be part of managing the politics of governance. As much as possible, public offices should be managed civilly while endeavouring to reduce friction and unnecessary tension.”
Downcast
She says her removal nearly proved costly as it dampened her enthusiasm for politics.
"I was not only removed as SG, but my efforts in building a strong party at the secretariat level were also quickly forgotten after the party won the second term. This left me crestfallen, and I lost interest in politics,” says Ms Maina, who is also a long-serving advocate of the High Court.
“But what irked me the most was the reason for my removal: that I did not represent the image of Kenya. This disturbed me so much.
"We actually need to find a different language when it comes to such matters because when you tell someone that they do not represent the image of Kenya, it does not sit well, yet they are Kenyans.”
The Jubilee Alliance Party, the precursor of the Jubilee Party, had scouted Ms Maina to join its national executive council in 2014 to help build the outfit. Later, she was picked as its SG.
“Though I was new, I had to quickly learn the ropes of working with diverse teams and building the structures of a national political party in the backdrop of accountable and transparent systems, where everyone is treated fairly and with dignity and respect. This is the only way to affirm and serve people.
It is this experience that led then-Deputy President Ruto (now President) to approach her to rebuild UDA, which rebranded from the Party of Development and Reform (PDR).
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“I made up my mind and joined UDA in 2020 after wide consultations with the party leader and leaders from the Mt Kenya region. I had to overcome the sour taste that Jubilee left in my mouth that made me hesitant to rejoin politics.
“At UDA, I was tasked to rebuild the outfit of 53,000 members into a winning party with over 8.9 million Kenyans in under two-and-a-half years. I’m grateful to President Ruto for entrusting me with this huge assignment,” says Ms Maina, who has also headed the Secretariat for Women in the Maritime Sector in East and Southern Africa, consisting of 24 countries.
The party, according to her, was financially strapped and depended on members for support, given that it was unfavourable to the government of the day that leaned towards Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga.
There was so much goodwill sown into the Party by different teams working at the national, county, ward and grassroots levels, she adds.
“But we had a formula that we used; it circled building a strong team, respecting people, accepting that you cannot do it alone and you need other leaders to succeed, and having people themselves as the pillar of that vision,” she says.
“A successful party should have a listening ear, having ideals that respect the Constitution, people-centred philosophy, and manifesto, having free and fair processes.
"If a party is built on free and fair processes, it boosts the trust of aspirants who come knowing very well that the nominations will be free and fair without any monkey business with the certificate.”
Tough Campaigns
Ms Maina says that during campaigns, she lived in fear of government operatives who were against Dr Ruto.
“Each morning before embarking on campaigns, we would pray: for God’s protection over our teams and God’s favour during the elections.”
She is proud that under her leadership as SG, they effectively supported all UDA candidates and prevented them from using violence as a means to securing seats during the party primaries and the August 8, 2022 elections.
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“The impact of large political parties should not be underestimated. Indeed, if the political parties were to ensure processes that are peaceful and devoid of violence, automatically all elections would be peaceful and transitions would not be disruptive to public peace.
"On many occasions, electoral violence is a spillover from disorganised party processes that encourage the flexing of muscles.
“I hold the belief that nobody in this nation should die as a result of political competition. My party leader really frowned upon politicians who tried to use violence to win party tickets within UDA, and our candidates listened, and that silently helped in managing political temperatures even in other parties.”
Ms Maina has since been succeeded as UDA secretary general by former Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala.
Gender agenda
“On matters of gender, the country is struggling to meet the two-thirds rule in Parliament because most women fear contesting because of violence meted out to them by their opponents.”
“Women make up more than 50 per cent of Kenya’s population, yet they are underrepresented in Parliament. The country cannot afford to continue disadvantaging us when it comes to representation in Parliament.”
The first-term legislator says she was nominated by UDA to the Senate to represent the party’s interests, which includes legislation and oversight over the counties in utilisation of disbursed funds.
Although she is tight-lipped about her 2027 election plans, her heightened activities and frequent presence in Murang’a County and Kigumo Constituency have left residents guessing.
During the last festive season, Ms Maina shared gifts with thousands of Murang’a residents, including the elderly and children.
Recently, she collaborated with the Murang’a government to offer free cleft lip and cleft palate surgery at Muriranjas Sub-County Hospital—a move that has left politicians in the area worried.
Ms Maina, who has served as part-time lecturer in gender at Laikipia University under the Police Reform programme, has sponsored the Law of Succession (Amendment) Bill, 2023, in the Senate.
The proposed amendment seeks to eliminate discrimination in the distribution of the property of a deceased man by protecting children whose mother was not a wife, by ensuring they are considered as additional units and their share of the estate devolved to them.
The Bill also seeks to eliminate discrimination against widows, who lose their husbands’ property upon remarriage whereas widowers do not. It thus ensures widows and widowers lose their life interest in the whole of the remainder of the net intestate estate once they remarry.
Additionally, the Bill seeks to ensure that where parents are entitled to their deceased child’s estate, both mother and father receive equal shares.
Ms Maina is an alumna of the University of Nairobi, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Laws.
She also holds a Master's in Laws (Public International Law) from the University of London, where she specialised in the international law of the sea and gender studies.
She further has a Diploma in International Refugee Law from the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, Sanremo, Italy.
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She says Kenyans are about to start reaping the fruits of the policies initiated by the Ruto administration.
“Some people are criticising him, saying things are difficult, but the truth of the matter is that when you change policy, things are not easy.
"If it were easy, there would be no need for change. Kenyans need to continue supporting the Presidency and to be patient as we continue to reap the fruits of President Ruto’s policies.
“The government has been keen on supporting agriculture through the fertiliser subsidy programme and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been leading a reform initiative aimed at the stabilisation of prices of coffee, tea, milk, avocado and other agricultural products to ensure farmers benefit.
“The focus of the Presidency right now is to deliver on the Plan (Kenya Kwanza development blueprint) and the promises that were made to Kenyans,” she says.
