Njeri Maina reveals how she won Woman Rep seat despite lack of campaign funds
Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina has, for the first time, shared how she boldly entered the political arena to contest the highly competitive Woman Rep seat without any financial backing.
Speaking during an interview with a local publisher on Friday, August 8, 2025, Njeri revealed that she faced well-funded opponents but relied on her passion and honesty to connect with voters and secure victory.
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The woman rep reflected on the financial realities of Kenyan politics, noting that it is heavily driven by money and the ability to distribute it during campaigns.
“Politics in Kenya is very financially demanding and consuming, and the whole political scene revolves around money and dishing it out. I remember my opponents had money, but I did not,” she said.
She added that many candidates, including her opponents, had substantial funds, whereas she had none.
Maina said she was fresh from the Kenya School of Law, having practised for only one or two years, mostly on a pro bono basis, which left her without the financial resources needed to campaign extensively.
“I remember my opponents had money and I did not have. I was just fresh from the Kenya School of Law and had practised for only one or two years, focusing mainly on pro bono work. So, I did not have the money to campaign,” she explained.
She recounted moments of discouragement when moving around Kirinyaga and seeing her rivals’ posters and billboards everywhere, while she struggled to afford even one.
She said that she used to pray to God and insisted that, unlike many who might consider giving up in such circumstances, she did not.
“At one point, I thought we were not going to make it to the end. I would take a turn and say, ‘Oh my God, I can’t even afford a poster like this,’” she said.
Despite the financial disadvantage, Maina said she chose to be transparent with the voters.
She added that she bared herself and told them she had no money but that she would serve them diligently and purposefully.
“I spoke to the people and told them, ‘Look, I have no money. I am young. There is absolutely no way I have funds, but I have a vision and I will serve you diligently and purposefully, Inshallah.’ They listened to me and voted for me,” she noted.
Maina said she presented herself authentically as a young woman from the village, one of their own, without the experience some opponents claimed to have, but with a strong passion to serve.
“I presented myself as Gacheri, just the way I was, as their daughter who had just come from school and did not have the experience others claimed to have but had the passion to serve,” she added.
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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