Kirinyaga governor hopeful Ann Waiguru during one of her campaign rallies. [Photo/ facebook.com]
According to the Urban Dictionary, Minji stands for “a very, very cool girl” while in Asia, the word means “a new breed of cute penguins.”
But I bet the people of Kirinyaga have none of the above definitions in mind whenever they chant the “Minji Minji” slogan. To them, it’s all local.Minji is a Kikuyu word which means peas and in Kirinyaga politics it is a moniker for Jubilee governorship candidate Anne Waiguru.Without sounding prejudicial, Waiguru’s light complexion, good looks, newness in the political scene and fresh ideas are the core basis for the byname; but don’t take my word for it.In a feature dubbed Kirinyaga Battle Royales, aired on Citizen TV on Sunday, one of the residents, Peter Wambugu, claimed that Waiguru perfectly fits the tag.“Minji minji is something soft and sweet but ndengu ndengu (which is used to refer to Martha Karua) is tough and does not cook well. That is why we refer to Waiguru as Minji,” he said.The appellation has turned into a movement, especially among the youth in Mwea, Ndia, Kirinyaga Central and Gichugu constituencies, with “Minji Minji” songs released by musicians in Kirinyaga magnifying the wave.What began as a simple nickname has now turned into a county anthem with Waiguru’s new campaign model that embraces personal interaction with her supporters working to her advantage.Unlike her competitors who have chosen to stick to the traditional arm’s length campaign model, Waiguru has been seen freely mingling with her supporters, purchasing goods in the markets, picking tea with farmers and even taking long walks to her rally venues in what has evidently endeared her more to the people.And so, if the current euphoria is anything to go by, then Kirinyaga is going the “Minji Minji” way!
This article was first published on citizentv.co.ke