NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 5 – The 2018 exit of Nairobi Deputy Governor Polycarp Igathe was not formally communicated to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), it has now emerged.
The poll agency stated the position in a January 9 response to a request for an advisory opinion by the Nairobi County Assembly made public on Thursday, March 5.
IEBC was responding to a letter from the County Assembly Clerk and Speaker Beatrice Elachi who were seeking advice on governance at the devolved unit, after Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko who is facing graft charges was barred from accessing his City Hall office.
Through Nairobi County Assembly lawyer John Diro, the County Assembly Clerk and the Speaker had written to IEBC seeking advise on the governances of the County.
“On the vacancy of the Deputy Governor, Nairobi City County, the Commission has not received any formal communication to the alleged vacancy in the office of the Deputy Governor, Nairobi City County other than information in the media,” IEBC stated.
Igathe resigned in January 2018, on grounds that he had failed to earn the trust of Governor Sonko.
In a bid to fill the gap, the Governor first nominated exiled lawyer Miguna Miguna who was rejected by the County Assembly.
After being barred from office in December last year, Sonko went ahead to nominate Ann Kananu Mwenda to the position of the Deputy Governor.
The court however barred the County Assembly from vetting Ann Mwenda.
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