Igathe finally exits City Hall

Polycarp Igathe is no longer the Nairobi County deputy governor.

This follows the expiry of his resignation notice submitted on January 11, 2018, in which he said he would resign his seat effective 1 pm January 30, 2018.

“Dear Nairobians, it is with a heavy heart that I resign my seat as elected Deputy Governor of Nairobi City County effective 1pm on 31st Jan 2018. I regret I have failed to earn the trust of the Governor to enable me to drive Admin & Management of the county,” said Igathe, who had only served at City Hall for five months.

After Igathe made public his resignation, Jubilee Party leaders in Nairobi led by Senator Johnson Sakaja and Moses Kuria are reported to have initiated a process to broker a truce between Governor Mike Sonko and his deputy.

The efforts appear to have hit a snag.

On January 18, Sonko ruled out the possibility of holding talks with his outgoing deputy, Polycarp Igathe, saying he will engage city MCAs on the way forward.

Speaking at a workshop in Kiambu County on Thursday, Sonko said Mr. Igathe’s resignation came as a shocker to him but it was “influenced by personal choice.”

“His resignation is a non-issue to me. I did not fire him, he decided to exit. We have other elected leaders – the MCAs – and I’d urge Nairobi residents to have faith in us, even as we promise efficient service delivery. That is our prime focus,” said Mr. Sonko.

Sonko will now serve his full term in office without a deputy unless Parliament amends the County Governments Amendment Bill to give powers to Governors to appoint their deputies should a vacancy arise in the office.