Nairobi News

Bishop Margaret Wanjiru has spoken for the first time since her ill-fated bid for the Senate of her devotion to God, about politics, and of putting her love life on hold.

The bishop said that following the election, she took time out of the limelight to pray and focus on building the Glory Twin Towers.

The towers, similar to the American Twin Towers destroyed by Al Qaeda, will be built on opposite sides of Haile Selassie Avenue, connected by a covered bridge.

Bishop Wanjiru said: “I have been very quiet and out of the public eye, waiting for God to vindicate me. I am taking life one step at a time.”

Now she has vowed to help her son Stephen Kariuki recapture Mathare after a court found MP George Wanjohi was illegally declared the winner. (See related story page 12)

“That man was given the certificate on the road. We thank God that justice has finally prevailed because we won that election and I believe that God is with my son and he will win again,” she said.

The three Court of Appeal judges — Stephen Kairu, Jamila Mohammed and David Maraga — ruled the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) committed an offence when it cancelled a winner’s certificate earlier issued to Mr Kariuki.

Lengthy fight

On the Election Day, Mr Kariuki had been declared the winner with 34,076 votes against Mr Wanjohi’s 32,156. However, days after the election, the IEBC ordered Mr Kariuki to surrender his victory certificate saying it had been issued “erroneously.”

The judges have since ordered fresh elections on a date that is yet to be announced.

Although Bishop Wanjiru maintains she has not quit politics, she remains silent about her next political move and declined to comment of the recent ODM elections.

“Let us wait for the right procedure and allow the Speaker to declare the seat vacant first.

“But for now, I am focused to see my son continue with the development projects I started in Mathare, although I know that he is a grown man who can run his own campaign,” she said.

Already, some ODM members want Mr Kariuki to have a direct nomination for the forthcoming by-election. ODM co-Secretary General Ababu Namwamba also urged Ford-Kenya, Wiper and other CORD affiliate parties not to field candidates to ensure the coalition gets the seat.

Bishop Wanjiru’s dream of walking down the aisle again was thwarted in 2007 by James Kamangu Ndimu, who claimed to be her husband. Consequently her wedding was called off temporarily by the High Court.

But is the bishop in love again?

“Now you are teasing me,” she said, and continued: “No, I am not looking for anything or anyone.  I believe you can be happy without being in a relationship.”

Bishop Wanjiru added: “I am always happy all the time because I am born-again. Jesus is the joy of my heart.”