Nairobi County's education executive Janet Ouko resigns

Nairobi County Executive for Education and Sports Janet Ouko has resigned, saying she wants to pursue other undisclosed interests.

Ms Ouko’s resignation takes effect from January 31 pending approval from Governor Mike Sonko who is away in Mombasa with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The move is a setback to Mr Sonko’s administration as he loses one of the county executives at the forefront of major developments in the county’s education sector.

“There are no concerns as yet but I saw the need to exit. I do not think there are issues we can discuss now. Let us just leave it at that,” Mrs Muthoni told the Business Daily on phone.

The career educationist did not reveal more details behind her move and awaits to see if the governor will approve her resignation.

Free pre-primary education

Ms Ouko was appointed last year to the ministry and oversaw the start of free pre-primary education targeting 13,848 children currently enrolled in the Early Childhood Education Centres (ECDE) in the capital last June.

She also oversaw the distribution of Sh357.5 million in bursaries to pay fees for more than 60,000 bright but needy students from the city’s 85 wards.

The programme was however hit by hitches after banks rejected a majority of the cheques due to spelling mistakes and signature mismatch in July last year.

Mrs Ouko becomes the second senior official to resign from Sonko’s government after Polycarp Igathe who quit the deputy-governor’s post in January last year citing lack of trust from his boss.