Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has emerged as Kenya’s best-performing governor in a new assessment that measured how county governments have delivered on agriculture, health and water services over the past four years.
The Politrack Africa Thematic Performance Index 2022–2026 ranked governors using a composite score based on service delivery in the three devolved sectors alongside a public satisfaction rating collected through a nationwide survey.
Waiguru topped the rankings with a composite score of 61.5 per cent, backed by the highest public satisfaction rating of 68 per cent. Kisii Governor Simba Arati followed with 58.5 per cent, while Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti ranked third on 57.3 per cent.
The survey was conducted between 13 and 17 July 2026 through Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews involving 3,000 respondents drawn proportionately from all 47 counties. The poll had a margin of error of ±4 per cent at a 95 per cent confidence level.
Projects behind the highest scores
According to Politrack Africa, Waiguru’s performance was driven by investment in agriculture and healthcare.
Among the flagship projects cited were the commissioning of the Sagana Agro-Industrial Park, a KSh500 million County Aggregation and Industrial Park that processes tomatoes, mangoes and dairy products while creating an estimated 2,000 jobs.
The county also introduced an electronic voucher system for distributing seeds and fertiliser to about 10,000 farmers and upgraded Kianyaga Level 4 Hospital with a 50-bed renal unit and a new maternity wing.
Second-placed Arati was recognised for expanding agricultural support through the distribution of 200 tonnes of subsidised fertiliser to 8,000 farmers, constructing modern markets in Kisii Town and Nyamache, completing the Kisii Mother and Child Hospital with an additional 100 beds and equipping all 11 sub-county hospitals with modern diagnostic equipment.
The completion of the Nyamira–Kisii Water Supply Project, serving about 10,000 households, also contributed to the county’s score.
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti secured third place after initiatives that included distributing 74.9 tonnes of certified climate-smart seeds to more than 35,000 farmers and deploying 170 agripreneurs to provide extension services, inputs and market linkages. The county also upgraded Machakos Level 5 Hospital and five other health facilities with a 128-slice CT scanner, modern operating theatre equipment and advanced laboratory technology.
Other counties in the top rankings
Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo ranked sixth nationally with a composite score of 53.3 per cent. His administration was credited with expanding water access through a 10-kilometre HDPE pipeline at Dadachabasa, operationalising the Isiolo Export Abattoir and improving emergency healthcare with a new 20-bed accident and emergency block at Isiolo County Teaching and Referral Hospital. An eye unit at Garbatulla Level 4 Hospital was also cited.
Nandi Governor Stephen Sang placed seventh with 52.8 per cent, followed by Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga on 52.5 per cent, Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata on 52.0 per cent and Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro on 51.8 per cent.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii ranked eleventh with 50.8 per cent, Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki was twelfth on 50.3 per cent, while Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi Jiir completed the top 13 with 50.0 per cent.
What the rankings reveal
The rankings suggest that counties scoring highest tended to combine investments across all three devolved sectors rather than relying on progress in a single area. Large-scale agricultural support, improved health infrastructure and expanded water projects featured consistently among the top-performing administrations.
Politrack Africa said the index aims to provide a citizen-centred measure of county performance, highlighting both achievements and service delivery gaps while strengthening accountability within Kenya’s devolved system of government
