Johnson Arthur Sakaja has taken oath of office as the new Nairobi Governor, effectively taking over from Anne Kananu who succeeded Mike Sonko when he was in December 2020.
Sakaja took oath of office at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi at a ceremony attended by President-Elect William Ruto.
Ruto arrived at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) at 9:50am.
The president-elect was accompanied to the event by several MPs-elect affiliated to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party.
Outgoing governor Ann Kananu arrived at the venue to participate in the hand-over of power.
Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director-General Mohammed Badi who was also in attendance said the entity will start handing over 14 functions back to the county government from next week.
Speaking when he witnessed the swearing-in of the new Governor of Nairobi Johnson Sakaja, Major-General Badi affirmed that the agency has completed the tasks it was mandated to do.
“I am happy to announce that NMS has completed its task and we are now ready to hand over to the County Government next week,” he said.
He pledged support to the incoming Governor who took over from Anne Kananu.
The NMS boss urged Sakaja to carry on with ongoing projects which were being undertaken by the agency.
The deed of transfer was signed on February 25, 2020, by then Governor Mike Sonko and then Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, with the blessings of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Deputy Registrar of the Magistrates Courts Caroline Kabucho was selected to assist Justice Aburili.
Sakaja becomes Nairobi’s fourth governor after Evans Kidero (2013-2017), Mike Sonko (2017-2020) and Ann Kananu (2021-2022).
All the 45 Governors-Elect took oath of office on Thursday, ten days since their election on August 9, 2022 while elections in Kakamega and Mombasa were postponed to Monday over a ballot papers mix-up.
The ceremonies were held between 10 am and 2 pm and second-term governors like Kisumu’s Ayang Nyongo and Nyeri’s Mutahi Wahiga exuded confidence in improving service delivery.
There were no such ceremonies in Mombasa and Kakamega counties after the IEBC moved governor elections to Monday.
