• IEBC Nairobi County returning Officer Joseph Eroo on Monday afternoon handed over the clearance certificate to Kananu which allows her to be vetted.
• IEBC guidelines require a governor to submit a deputy's name to the commission.
Image: GPS
Nairobi is a step closer to getting a new deputy governor after the IEBC cleared the County’s Chief Officer for Disaster Anne Kananu for vetting for the appointment of the Deputy Governor position.
IEBC Nairobi County returning Officer Joseph Eroo on Monday afternoon handed over the clearance certificate to Kananu paving way for her vetting.
IEBC guidelines require a governor to submit a deputy's name to the commission.
The electoral agency then goes ahead and appoints a returning officer who shall vet the nominee as provided for in the Constitution and the Law.
The guidelines were communicated to county governors on June 18, 2018, by IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati.
The IEBC considers a deputy governor to occupy a political seat, hence filling it should follow standard procedure.
It says the nominee must meet the qualifications as stipulated in the Leadership and Integrity chapter of the Constitution.
"It logically follows that such a nominee must satisfy the constitutional and statutory qualifications attendant to that office as contained in the Constitution and the Elections Act, 2011,” the guidelines say.
The commission vets and clears a nominee and issues a certificate, a copy of which is forwarded to the governor.
The governor then forwards the name to the county assembly for vetting, deliberation and possible approval.
If approved, the speaker forwards the name to the commission in writing with approval recommendations.
The commission then gazettes the appointment of the deputy governor.
“The commission shall also notify the Chief Justice, who, by law, is expected to appoint via the Kenya Gazette the judge or chief magistrate before whom the deputy governor nominee may take his or her oath of office in accordance with the County Governments Act, 2012,” reads then guidelines .
Embattled Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on January 6, 2020 nominated Anne Kananu as the deputy governor in what he said was to ensure continuity after he was barred from office and being charged with misappropriation of Sh357 million.
Until her appointment to serve in the county government in 2018 , Kananu was the security supervisor in charge of quality control and training at the Kenya Airports Authority.
She also served as a personal assistant at H Mugambi & Co Advocates.
Kananu has also worked as a switchboard operator at the Kenya College of Communications Technology.
During her vetting before the county assembly committee on Culture, Mwenda said that she applied for a position because her work experience as a security supervisor would help her manage disaster in the capital city.
Kananu is expected to submit all the documents required for vetting including the IEBC clearance certificate to the clerk of the assembly’s committee of appointments by Friday this week.
The committee which is chaired by Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi will then set a date where Kananu will appear for vetting.
Upon the vetting , the committee will proceed to write a report and table it before the house for the members to either pass or reject the nominee
The assembly is currently on recess and is expected to resume its plenary session next week on Tuesday after a long two months recess.