Sonko's education minister Janet Ouko quits

The county executive for Education has resigned.

Janet Ouko (pictured), who has served in the docket that includes Youth and Sports, for one year and two months, announced her resignation yesterday through a letter to Governor Mike Sonko.

The letter indicated that she would leave office on January 31.

“I wish to thank you most sincerely for the opportunity to serve in your government as an executive committee member. I hereby tender my resignation effective January 31, 2019,” reads the letter dated January 7.

The letter seen by The Standard was copied to the acting county secretary, Pauline Kahiga and the county public service board.

Ms Ouko, who addressed a press conference in her office, declined to give the reasons for her resignation, only saying she was moving on to seek other opportunities.

“I have decided to resign so I can seek other opportunities. It has been a wonderful one year and two months and I would now like to pursue other interests that will grow my career and help my personal development.”

The CEC said Mr Sonko had yet to respond to her letter.

Sources claimed that Ouko resigned due to a difficult working relationship with her boss.

Former deputy governor Polycarp Igathe also described Sonko as difficult to work with.

Mr Igathe resigned in a similar manner in January last year, just months after he and Sonko clinched Nairobi’s top seat on a Jubilee ticket.

The source, who sought anonymity, said Ouko and Sonko did not see eye to eye.

But Ouko denied the claims, saying she had a good working relationship with the governor.

“We had a good working relationship, that of a boss and an employee, and we’ve achieved a lot together with the governor. But a time comes when one has to pursue different interests,” she said.

One of Ouko's flagship projects was the rehabilitation of 205 early childhood education development centres.