Karen Nyamu and Jane Weru will now battle it out for the Nairobi Deputy gubernatorial seat after the Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko said that only the two were in the race to become Nairobi’s next deputy governor meaning that the Governor had dropped the other women contesting for the seat.
Prior to Governor Sonko’s shortlist, business woman, Agnes Kagure and Bishop Margret Wanjiru were part of the women in the deputy gubernatorial race.
It is now clear that Nairobi’s next deputy governor will be a woman. Who do you think will make the cut?
Karen Nyamu (second from left) came into the limelight after she vied for Woman Representative in Nairobi county in Kenya’s 2017 general election but lost to the current Nairobi Women Rep, Esther Passaris. Jane Weru, (first from left) is an Executive Director for Akiba Trust Mashinani, a Non-Governmental Organisation that provides financial and non-financial services to support the many housing, livelihood and other initiatives undertaken by Muungano groups in informal settlements.
Recently, the Nairobi County Women Forum petitioned the Office of the President and that of the Deputy President to intervene and have Governor Sonko speed up the appointment of his Deputy, urging him to select a woman into his office.
Governor Sonko’s choice to announce a woman as his Deputy is probably due to the pressure from the Nairobi County Women Forum led by Chairlady, Cecilia Wairimu held demonstrations to urge the governor to appoint a woman as his deputy.
The Deputy Governor’s position fell vacant in January this year after Polycarp Igathe resigned citing failure to earn the trust of the governor. Governor Sonko then nominated Miguna Miguna to fill the position but the Nairobi County Assembly rejected the Miguna’s nomination saying that he was not a suitable candidate for the position because his citizenship had been revoked by the government.
Reports now say that the Nairobi Governor is still consulting with the Jubilee Party leadership before submitting the name of the final candidate for vetting and approval by the County Assembly. Governor Sonko is required to nominate his preferred candidate for the Deputy Governor’s post for submission to the County Assembly which will vet and approve the candidate if satisfied.
Who do you think will be Governor Sonko’s top pick?