Ann Kananu finally took office as the third governor of Nairobi after a 10-month delay in a colourful ceremony presided over by High Court Judge Lilian Nabwire Mutende.
Coming less than nine months to the General Election, Kananu pledged to set City Hall on the path to full recovery.
The 41-year-old Governor took the oath, marking an end to a protracted legal battle with her predecessor, Mike Sonko.
In her first speech, the former deputy governor unveiled a five-point Nairobi economic stimulus plan to improve service delivery, boost early learning, enhance inclusive education and the quality of life for Nairobi residents.
She intends to employ 219 additional early childhood development and education (ECDE) teachers in the county while providing free milk to about 6,450 children in the more than 229 public pre-primary schools in the capital.
Kananu’s administration is seeking to sink boreholes and install 850 water tanks across the 85 wards in Nairobi, with priority given to informal settlements, to improve access to water and sanitation.
The new county chief promised to work with the national government, the county assembly, the Senate and Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) for the benefit of Nairobi residents.
As the first female governor of the city and the fourth in the country, the former Disaster Management and Coordination chief officer promised to follow in the footsteps of Margaret Kenyatta–the first black African and only woman mayor of Nairobi. Kananu praised Margaret Kenyatta, who died in 2017, for initiating several developmental projects and prioritising women, children and education.
