Nairobi Education executive Janet Ouko resigned yesterday, dealing another blow to Governor Mike Sonko’s administration.
Ouko said she was quitting to “pursue other interests”. Speaking at a press conference, Ouko said she felt it was time to focus on issues outside City Hall.
“I wish to thank you most sincerely for the opportunity to serve in your government as an executive committee member,” Ouko said in an apparent address to Sonko.
A source told a local daily that Ouko fell out with Sonko on Sunday evening. The fallout might have led to her resignation, the source said. But Ouko denied falling out with the governor, saying they had a good working relationship.
Her resignation will be effective from January 31. She becomes the first executive to resign from Sonko’s cabinet.
Ouko is among the longest serving city executives, having been in charge of the education docket since she was sworn in on November 1, 2017.
She survived numerous reshuffles in which her counterparts were moved from one docket to another. The last reshuffle happened in September, after Sonko suspended Hitan Majevdia (Health) and Vesca Kangogo (Devolution).
Ouko was never accused by Sonko of corruption or abuse of office. She attended almost all county functions and always appeared before the county assembly committees whenever called upon. Before the MCAs broke for the long recess, Ouko handed out bursary forms to all 85 ward representatives.
Her resignation comes exactly a year after Deputy Governor Polycarp Igathe resigned.
Sonko’s cabinet now has six executives, with two serving in two dockets each.
Lands executive Charles Kerich is the acting minister for Health, while Environment’s Larry Wambua is holding brief in the Devolution docket. Others are Peter Njuguna (Agriculture), Newton Munene (Trade), Allan Igambi (Finance) and Mohammed Dagane (Transport).