Anne Kananu takes over running of Nairobi County from Mutura
Acting Nairobi Governor Benson Mutura has today vacated the office of the governor of Nairobi, paving the way for Deputy Governor Anne Mwenda to take over.
Mr Mutura, who has been holding the office since December following the impeachment of former Governor Mike Sonko, now returns to his Nairobi County Assembly Speaker position.
This now leaves the governorship office vacant for assumption by Ms Mwenda pending her swearing in later this week.
Speaking during the ceremony at the governor’s office in Nairobi, Mr Mutura said he now vacates the post after Ms Mwenda was last week sworn in as the substantive Nairobi County deputy governor, a development that affects his continued holding of the governor’s office.
He explained that his assumption of office on December 21 was based on Article 182 (5) of the Constitution because the county government lacked a substantive deputy governor who would have occupied the office thus putting him in charge albeit in an acting capacity.
But now since the county has a substantive deputy governor in line with Article 182 (2) of the Constitution, which states that if a vacancy occurs in the office of a county governor the deputy governor shall assume office for the remainder of the governor’s term, he has relinquished his hold on the office.
“Accordingly, I now relinquish my acting as the governor of Nairobi County and resume my duty as the speaker of Nairobi County Assembly and allow Her Excellency Anne Kananu Mwenda to assume the office of the county governor in a substantive manner,” said Mr Mutura.
“I assumed this office in an acting capacity in accordance to the law but during my acting period, several developments have occurred which have directly affected my continued holding of the position. I assure the incoming governor of our full support as the county assembly,” he added.
On her part, Ms Mwenda pledged to steer clear of politics and stick to service delivery working closely with both the Nairobi County Assembly and Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director General Major General Mohammed Badi and his team.
Her first task in office, she said, will be launching a public engagement to collect views on the state of service delivery in the city and how to improve in partnership with the Assembly.
“I once again affirm that I will lead from the front in heeding the call of the President to radically improve provision of services in the city. We are alive to the needs of the people and such is critical that the early successes seen over the last few months is replicated across the city in all the sectors,” said Ms Mwenda.