Murang’a Woman Representative Betty Maina has declared her interest in becoming the county’s next governor, setting her sights on the seat ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Maina, who was elected to Parliament in 2022 on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, announced her gubernatorial ambition on November 4.
Her declaration came as other political leaders, including incumbent Governor Irungu Kang’ata and Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, positioned themselves for the county’s top seat.
Popularly known as “Betty ee Sawa”, Maina has built her political profile through her work in the Murang’a Woman Representative’s office, her time at the Athi Water Development Agency and her involvement in UDA politics.
Betty Maina’s Early Life and Education
Betty Maina was born on November 20, 1990.
She attended Kangari Upcountry Academy, where she completed her primary education in 2003, before joining Naaro High School. She studied at the institution between 2004 and 2007 and sat her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations.
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Maina later joined Mount Kenya University in 2018 and completed her university studies in 2022.
Betty studied a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development and also holds a Diploma in Community Development and Social Work from the same university.
Betty Maina’s Career Before Parliament
Before becoming a Member of Parliament, Maina worked in the office of Murang’a’s former Woman Representative, Sabina Chege.
She served as an office administrator between 2013 and 2019, gaining experience in the operations of a constituency-based political office.
In 2019, she joined the board of the Athi Water Development Agency, where she served until 2022.
The agency’s annual report identifies her as an independent director and a member of its Resources and Governance Committee.
Maina has also been associated with the Greening Kenya Foundation, where she served as executive director and chief executive officer.
The organisation’s work includes environmental conservation, tree planting, forest protection and public awareness on environmental issues.
She left the Athi Water Board in 2022 as she prepared to contest for the Murang’a Woman Representative position.
How Betty Maina Won the Murang’a Woman Representative Seat
Betty Maina entered elective politics in the 2022 General Election, contesting for the Murang’a Woman Representative position on a UDA ticket.
She secured the party’s nomination before facing other candidates in the August 2022 election.
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Maina won with 278,443 votes, defeating her closest challenger, Waithira Muithirania, who received 111,163 votes.
Her victory saw her take over the seat from Sabina Chege, who had served as Murang’a Woman Representative between 2013 and 2022 before joining national politics as a nominated Member of Parliament.
Maina’s election marked a transition from working in the same parliamentary office to occupying the position herself.
Her Work as Murang’a Woman Representative
Since entering Parliament in 2022, Maina has served as the county’s Woman Representative, representing the interests of women and other residents in the National Assembly.
Her public engagements have included work with women’s groups, vulnerable households, orphans, and children living with disabilities.
During her November 9 address to residents, she mentioned support for women’s groups through cheques, assistance to orphans and programmes for children with disabilities among the initiatives she hoped her successor would continue.
She also urged residents to examine those seeking the Woman Representative seat and choose someone who would sustain programmes targeting vulnerable groups.
Betty Maina is married to Mathira Member of Parliament Eric Wamumbi.
The two met during political activities in the run-up to the 2022 General Election, and Wamumbi later proposed to her.
Maina Announces She Will Not Defend Woman Representative Seat
A few days after declaring her gubernatorial ambition, Betty Maina made another announcement that changed the conversation around her political future.
On November 9, she told Murang’a residents that she would not seek another term as Woman Representative in the 2027 General Election.
She thanked residents for giving her five years to serve and apologised to anyone who felt offended during her time in office.
Her remarks followed the July 16, Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, in which the DCP candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho defeated UDA’s Samuel Muchina Nyaga.
Ngotho received 35,440 votes, while Nyaga received 5,450. Maina said the outcome had changed her understanding of political dynamics in the Mount Kenya region.
She also urged residents to assess candidates seeking to replace her and elect someone who would continue supporting vulnerable groups.
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