If Maragua MP Mary Waithera Njoroge was not a politician, many believe that she would be a high voltage electrical wire, or, she would have made an excellent action movie actress and still be rich.

Since she joined elective politics in 2013 when she vied for Murang’a Woman Representative post and lost to Sabina Chege, nevertheless getting nominated in the Murang’a County Assembly as a Member of County Assembly (MCA), public drama and her have become love mates. 

And in her wake, she lives an electrification effect that lights and electrocutes emotions in the same measure.

She is popularly known as Wa Maua, the nickname of her wealthy husband who runs a motor vehicle garage at Kaharati Shopping Centre.

A mother of three, she is known to get very emotional when talking about effects of bhang in the society and at Sabasaba town where she has a home, she has on several occasions led public protests against drug peddlers.

On November 6, 2023, she led a protest march of Sabasaba traders, boda boda riders, and bar operators to demand immediate sacking of area OCS on claims of abuse of office, duty negligence and corruption.

Born in Kahuho village near Sabasaba town that is in Kigumo Constituency, she crossed the nearby tarmac road and got married near the same town in Wathiani village. 

Such that, Wa Maua, if push came to shove, she can vie in Kigumo and in Maragua since she is only about two kilometres from the boundary of her place of birth and that of marriage.

In 2015, Wa Maua sponsored a motion to impeach the then Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria and managed to marshal 34 votes against 15 to sail through. 

However, the senate came to Mr Wa Iria’s rescue when it failed to endorse the impeachment.

It was through that impeachment motion that the politician gained some political traction and when she vied for Maragua MP in 2017, she easily won.

She was employed as a teacher in 1993 and in 1997 she ventured into the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) politics where she served as a female delegate till 2008.

She rose through the ranks to become Deputy Headteacher, serving between 2008 and 2013.

Loud and clear

It is from this teaching that she acquired the firm, loud, and clear voice that in her public functions serves her well since she rarely requires the services of a public address (PA) system to get heard. 

Indeed, journalists joke that in her speeches, she is the perfect example of what loud and clear is all about.

Her supporters describe her as a well meaning, nice, and amiable rumble rouser who speaks her mind in the most honest manner possible, based on her highly judgemental mien, and can tell you to go hang while looking straight in your eyes.

To her critics, she is an irritant, confrontational and one whose diplomatic approach to issues rates slightly above zero(0) but nowhere near one(1).

A senior security officer in Murang’a South describes her as “a leader who does not hide her distaste for women officers and in the past five years, she has been the cause of transfers of at least three women officers in Murang’a South”.

But Wa Maua disputes, saying "what I cannot stomach are bad officers who make me and our government unpopular... be they female or male".

Her ardent supporter, Ms Teresiah Kimani says “there is nothing wrong with our MP only that she hates ineptitude and government officers who joke around with call of duty”.

Her active nature in confronting people and issues has been contagious, her aides dominating social and political scenes with claims of assault against those perceived to be opposed to her.

There are about three police reports that have been lodged against her for alleged assault, two others against her close supporters, but police officers have been very evasive in taking justice wheels to her doorstep for obvious fear of being made by her, subjects of public tirades.

There was a video doing rounds which captured her male aide assaulting a Kenya Power employee. When the video went viral he was arrested and later released.

“I thought the man was a fake… We have had such cases of conmen visiting my Ndifu village and extorting money from my people. When I was called and notified that there was a suspected case of fraudsters in my home, I responded purely to safeguard the public interest,” the aide, Mr Martin Wamwea told the media back then.

The victim had disconnected power from Mr Wamwea's home on allegations that it was illegally connected.

The incident was followed by another where the MP, in person, had stormed Maragua police station as she launched war with bloggers and the police saying they were conspiring to undermine her executive arm’s attached authority.

She was demanding an explanation from OCS Francisca Mbinda on why she was harassing another of her political aide known as Derick Kibe and who had been arrested on grounds of allegedly posting lies on his Facebook account.

She accused the OCS of taking Sh5,000 cash bail from the suspect, but never issued a receipt, an assertion the OCS dismissed as “malicious lies.”

The MP later secured Mr Kibe’s release and at the same time had Nixon Warui,24, summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Murang’a South to explain his critical posts against her tenure as MP.

Mr Warui appeared before the then DCI head David Cheruiyott who released him after questioning, promising to establish an enquiry to get the truth behind the claims.

Mr Warui was to later record a police statement at Kamahuha Police Patrol Base that while at Iganjo Shopping centre, the MP boxed him in the right ear as her two male aides pinned him down, one holding him by his private parts.

In the process, he reported that he lost a mobile phone worth Sh18,000 and his new coat worth Sh1,000 got torn. He further claimed that the three further issued him life threatening messages.

The complainant’s medical report dated April 24, 2023, indicated that he complained of facial, chest, abdominal, and pelvic pains leading to an X-ray examination.

The X-ray results indicated no harm on his kidney and liver that were feared to have suffered some knocks in the alleged violence meted on him.

With the P3 form processed and filed back, the police have since kept it in their drawers unsure on how to go about this many months later. This even when a P3 form that has been filed back to the issuing station serves as equivalent of warrant of arrest.

The MP insisted that she was not afraid of the case and whatever action that might accrue out of it.

“I was in that shopping centre on that material date… I don’t remember assaulting anyone. I remember seeing at least six police officers in that centre and they should have arrested me then,” she said.

She added that she did not aspire to be seen as if she were presenting a case where an elephant is fighting with a termite.

"I will keep my peace and wait for those police processes,” she said.

The word that is hashed by area security agents and chiefs is that it serves no good to get into a confrontation with the MP.

“Any chief or an assistant who is not in good books with her, will have a rough time. She can ridicule and campaign against you in public forums, sometimes mentioning you by name,” said a chief in her constituency.

Former Murang'a County Commissioner Mr Karuku Ngumo came face to face with her fiery stance against security officers when he attended a ceremony to unveil Kenol town based new courthouse.

Ms Wa Maua took advantage of the congregation that was composed of all senior and some junior officers to launch a scathing attack against them.

“We have some here who are corrupt and serve nothing to better our area…Those who were known to fight the free will of our people in the just concluded elections…This is a new government and you must know that the funny behaviour that you were exhibiting will not be tolerated,” she hit out.

She added that crime should be fought and not nursed after it paid officers bribes to be spared.

The tone and the words were so hurting to Mr Ngumo and his team that he beckoned to them to storm out of the meeting—and they forlornly left, striking an image of ordinary picketers.  

“The government is walking out on its own people… Good riddance! This is Dr William Ruto’s government and not Azimio… Just leave,” a male voice from the crowd shouted.

On her part, Ms Wa Maua asked the crowds: “Should they leave or stay? Do we care?”

And the crowds were happy for their MP, encouraging her to ignore that they were storming out.

Murang'a gubernatorial race

Ms Wa Maua is rated as one who can bid for the governor seat in Murang’a in 2027 and succeed in threatening Governor Irungu Kang’ata’s bid for a second term, though she has publicly declared no interest to dethrone him.

But to achieve that feat, analysts say that she must devise a way of kicking out indecisiveness in critical moments.

“Take an example of how she behaved in the few months leading to August 9, 2022, general elections. She could not make up her mind on whether she was in Azimio or she was in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA). She will remain thankful that Maragua does not have fast schemers since she would have been punished for her flip flop,” says area political analyst, Henry Njogu.

Mr Njogu says that Wa Maua appeared to be more of an Azimio politician until the wee hours, when she was literally dragged into UDA by Dr Kang’ata.

On October 12, 2021, she had attended Azimio political rally at Kasarani Sports Centre and where she was humiliated, an incident that did trend online.

In the incident video, Ms Wa Maua was seen being shoved away and she protesting loudly as some security officers upon recognising her late in the humiliation, attempted to console her.

“Mimi kiongozi ambaye amechaguliwa na watu mnanisukuma kama gunia la viazi? Na mkiingia State House? Tunataka watu wa kunyenyekea… Mtanipata Murang’a, mtatupata Murang’a (I as an elected leader you are pushing me like a sack of potatoes? What if you assume State House? We want humble people…You will get me in Murang’a...You will get us in Murang’a),” Wa Maua was heard protesting as she left the venue.

She left and kept a low profile and emerged in May 2022 wearing yellow colours and singing about Dr Ruto's suitability, a gamble that paid off when she effortlessly bagged her second term.

As she moves into new dawn in her political journey, her most pressing needs in her constituency remain drought that induces hunger to more than 70 percent of the area, illicit brews and narcotics, police and administration involvement in promoting reckless alcoholism as well as inequity in project financing.

For instance, pressure is on her to deal with serious public land grabbing in the constituency, push for the building of a Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) at Maragua Level 4 Hospital as well as have the area courthouse built in Ichagaki Ward.

Chang’aa brewers in Maica Ma Thi village say they are still waiting for her to disburse Sh30 million that she had promised them in 2018 where they had presented a business plan of rearing pigs for income generation and in the process, abandon their illegal occupation of trading in the lethal brew.  

Between 1986 and1989, Wa Maua who is an ardent supporter of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, schooled at Kamahuha Girls High for her O-Level certificate and enrolled in Kigali Teachers Training College in 1991 for her teaching course. 

She in 2013 enrolled for a Diploma in Social Works and Community Development at Gretsa University, and advanced to a Bachelor's degree of the same.