In an advert placed on a local daily on Tuesday, Phillip Sogoti Chepsat (pictured) said he has what it takes to fill in the position that has been vacant for close to 2 years now/COURTESY
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 14 – A city resident has reached out to Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko requesting to considered for the position of Deputy Governor.
In an advert placed on a local daily on Tuesday, Phillip Sogoti Chepsat said he has what it takes to fill in the position that has been vacant for close to 2 years now.
With 15 years of experience in the public service, Sogoti said he is the right candidate to replace Polycarp Igathe who resigned in January 2018 citing failure to gain the trust of his boss.
“I am a university graduate with over 15 years’ experience in public service. I am driven by a strong conviction that I could make significant contribution to your efforts to improve Nairobi City,” Sogoti expressed.
He added that he was prompted to express his interest publicly, because he knows Governor Sonko as a person who values openness and transparency.
Igathe announced his resignation on January 12 last year, through his twitter account.
“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,” he wrote.
Surprisingly, he resigned hours after a television interview where he defended the performance of Governor Sonko’s administration since taking over as City County executive on August 21, 2017.
Igathe joined politics from the private sector, having resigned as a CEO at Vivo Energy, with the intent to restore East Africa’s largest city to its position as the regional economic powerhouse.
In an interview with Capital FM News before the 2017 elections, Igathe said politics was too important to be left to politicians.
“I have gotten to the top in the corporate world. What else was there for me to do? I was just twiddling thumbs and swiveling on a chair, let me now to serve my country; I have always believed you learn, which I have learned… you earn which I have earned, then you serve. Serving is a calling, I have come here as a shepherd,” he said in May 2017.
Sonko and Igathe won the Nairobi gubernatorial race after garnering 719,624 votes against incumbent Evans Kidero’s 576,578 votes.
After four months of serving without a DG, Sonko pulled a surprise move by nominating deported controversial lawyer Miguna Miguna as his deputy on May 16, 2018.
“I hereby forward my nominee, lawyer Miguna Miguna to undergo full vetting process and approval by the County Assembly for the position of Deputy Governor,” Sonko said in his letter to Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi.
He defended Miguna, saying, “he meets all the requirements provided for in the constitution, the Leadership and Integrity Act, the Elections Act and the County Government Act.”
Miguna’s nomination was however rejected by the Nairobi Members County Assembly.
Since then, Sonko has not nominated any other person for the position despite sustained calls by leaders including Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja urging him to choose a DG.
While appearing before the Senate Devolution Committee on April 24, Sonko said there is no provision in law that compels him to appoint a deputy and insisted that he was still consulting on a suitable candidate.
“I have shown goodwill in this matter. What I want you to understand is that after my former deputy governor resigned, he cited failure to earn my trust, but he never explained how. So, I do not want to just rush to appoint another one then they resign. It will be a big embarrassment to me,” Sonko said.
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