Louis Leakey: I have resigned from National Museums of Kenya board

Renowned paleontologist Louis Leakey has resigned from the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) board after serving barely eight months.

Dr Leakey, the daughter of former civil service head Richard Leakey, resigned only four weeks after the appointment of NMK Director General Mzalendo Kibunjia.

"Yes it is true I have resigned from the board. I did so over personal reasons. I had been waiting for the appointment of the new director general and now that he is in, I had to leave," she told The Standard Thursday.

However, speculation at NMK is that she was not impressed by the manner in which the board conducted the process of appointing the new director. When we asked her whether she was satisfied with the process, she flatly refused to comment.

But Ephraim Wahome, a member of the board, said the resignation was purely a personal affair and had nothing to do with either affairs at NMK or appointment of Kibunjia. A board meeting has since been set up for early next month to chart the way forward without Leakey.