Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
It is with great honor and humility that I congratulate my brother and friend; the incoming Governor, Hon. Sakaja Arthur Johnson and his Deputy Governor; Muchiri Njoroge as the new leadership team to steer this great city of Nairobi. I also want to congratulate the newly elected Nairobi County Assembly team.
Ladies and Gentlemen; It has been a great privilege for me to have been given the opportunity to serve the over six (6) Million Nairobians who live, work and invest in this beautiful city for the last eighteen months (18). Your diversity, young and old, entrusted me with the huge responsibility to provide the leadership and steer the County in matters that impacted their daily lives and businesses.
Looking back at the past 18 months, We have had to deal with a rapid succession of important events and situations, many of which are still unfolding. Indeed, for me, personally, it has been a most eventful period throughout, at times challenging but on the whole a most rewarding experience.
My tenure comes to an end at a time when the City like the rest of the Country was reeling from the social and economic impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic. As a consequence, individuals, households, communities and businesses have suffered immensely through loss of lives, livelihoods and freedom. It is for this reason that during my tenure in Office, I focused on cushioning Nairobi residents and businesses from the impact of the pandemic. Some of my successes include;
- Signing into law the Sexual Gender based violence bill whose overall role is to accelerate efforts towards the elimination of all forms of Gender based violence in Nairobi County and ensure perpetrators are severely punished. The law will ensure essential services are available to victims of Gender based violence as a matter of right.
- Disbursement of bursaries worth Kes 503M to bright and needy families to support primary and secondary students from Nairobi County in a bid to ensure no student is left behind in the quest of furthering education.
- Recruitment of 498 Early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers to support the provision of inclusive and quality education for children
- Rolling out of a Disaster feeding Programme as part of the immediate response and much needed support to victims of Disaster. I also initiated the expansion of Fire stations from two (2) since independence to six (6) functional fire stations spread across the four (4) poles of Nairobi City. This milestone reduced the county’s fire and rescue responses time from two (2) hours to an average of five (5) minutes.
- Construction and rehabilitation of ECD Centres in all 85 wards in Nairobi City and waiving all levies in all 229 public ECDE centres, resulting in enrollment increment to 17,000 from 13, 485.
As a young girl from Tharaka Nithi County; Today, as the first female Governor of this great county, I stand tall on the shoulders of women who have come before me and broken the glass ceiling. Indeed, Nairobi is no stranger to women leadership. it has been an honor and privilege to have been entrusted with this magnanimous responsibility to serve as your Governor for the last 18 months. I have opened the doors for opportunities and progress for all persons regardless of gender, age, tribe, color, and other orientations that Nairobi is an equal opportunity haven for all. Nairobians, you are the change, you answered people’s hopes, and because of you Nairobians, by almost every measure, Nairobi and Kenya at large is a better place than it was when we started.
I wish to thank the Almighty God for being so gracious to me throughout my life in service and up to this point in time. Ladies and gentlemen; My journey in public service would also not be possible without the support and sacrifice of others. To my Predecessor Governors: – for their contributions to the County’s development and contribution towards devolution during their respective tenure in Office.
As I say Kwaheri to Nairobi Residents and Nairobi City County Staff, I want you to give your new Governor, the much needed support to enable him achieve the dream of making Nairobi the City of order and dignity, hope and opportunity! To my brother Governor Sakaja; I am aware you are cognizant of the challenges that the people of Nairobi face and what needs to be done. I encourage you to speedily pick up the mantle to serve Nairobians and Nairobi County Staff with a lot of sobriety, devotion, humility, compassion and vision. As Governor, you will need to be affirmative in your decisions so as to propel Nairobi County forward. Nairobians elected you as their Governor, be ready to also make decisions affirmatively and decisions that will continue making Nairobi a place for all to thrive!
To Nairobi City County staff continue being diligent with your work; Please work closely with Governor Sakaja and accord him all the necessary support he will require to ensure he succeeds.
God Bless Kenya ! God Bless the People of Nairobi.. Kwaherini and Asanteni sana!
H.E Ann Kananu Mwenda,
Outgoing Governor,
Nairobi City County