Sonko appoints former Nairobi Town Clerk Gakuo to take over Igathe’s role

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has replaced former Deputy Governor, Polycarp Igathe, who resigned last month.

Governor Sonko appointed former Nairobi Town Clerk John Gakuo as the co-chair of the Nairobi Regeneration Committee.

According to a letter by the County Secretary, Leboo Ole Morintat, the committee’s main task is to ‘regain Nairobi’s lost glory’.

Mr Gakuo took over the role on February 15, 2018.

"H.E Governor Mike Sonko has appointed Mr John Gakuo as Co-chair of Nairobi Regeneration committee whose main task is to regain Nairobi lost glory. He will replace immediate Deputy Governor Mr Polycarp Igathe," part of the letter reads.

Mr Igathe left City Hall on January 31, 2018.

In a post-dated resignation letter by Igathe on January 12 that left people confused, he cited failure to earn trust of his boss Governor Sonko to enable him to deliver services to Nairobians as the reason for the prompt move.

In a Tweet, Igathe said his move to step down was to avoid betraying his oath of office to Kenyans especially Nairobians whom he was supposed to duly serve.

“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 posted on his Twitter account.

The decision came barely six months after the two office after the August 8 General Election where the duo triumphed to cling on Nairobi County seat, and a week after Sonko survived an election petition.

In a letter addressed to Sonko, Igathe stated clearly his resignation was effective 1pm, Wednesday, 31st January 2018.

“Serving Kenyans, in Nairobi under your leadership, has been a high honour and distinct privilege. I am grateful to Nairobians and yourself for giving me the opportunity to serve,” he wrote.

Igathe, however, assured Nairobians that he would serve them in an advisory capacity.

“It has been a great pleasure serving Nairobians and I will continue to serve as an advisor, beyond my previous position of Nairobi County Deputy Governor,” he said in a tweet.

According to pundits, Sonko can continue for the rest of the term without having a deputy.

Details of the imminent fallout between Sonko and Igathe were first published by a local daily that claimed State House was running the affairs of the county by making key decisions and seconding senior officials to City Hall.

A displeased Sonko would, however, deny having a strained relationship with his deputy by publishing a series of private messages between him and Igathe on his Facebook page.