Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris has disclosed that she is ready to quit her job as a legislator and assume the Deputy Governor’s post left vacant by Polycarp Igathe.
Passaris cited that she wants to take up the position since Miguna Miguna who was nominated by Governor Mike Sonko in May has rejected the post.
“The governor needs a deputy and if he cannot find one I am willing to take the position. I have already asked Sonko if I can be his deputy and in the spirit of the March 9th handshake we can have a NASA-Jubilee partnership,” she mentioned.
[caption caption="Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko"]
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She further indicated that due to the poor state of service delivery in the city there is an urge to have a capable deputy governor with a good track record of performance.
“If we do not fight poverty and other critical issues in this county we are all doomed. The governor needs a capable deputy as the state of hopelessness is too high,” she indicated.
However she declared that to become the deputy governor, she needs to have a distinct mandate of what her role will be and be given at least 3 departments to run in order to be of assistance to service delivery.
“He needs someone like me but I can only help him if I am given clear departments to run. I want water, education, environment and trade departments. I have to have an impact but I can only do this if I have the executives,” noted the ODM legislator.
“I have lived in this county and I know what needs fixing. If I am chosen as the deputy governor I will only need the departments I have mentioned just like President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto shared ministries in 2013,” she continued.
During a radio interview in April ,Sonko had indicated that his deputy would be a woman and the nomination of Miguna Miguna came as a surprise to many.
Among some of the people who were being considered for the position included former nominated senator Elizabeth Ongoro, Televangelist Margret Wanjiru and Ms Anne Kagure.
[caption caption="Eshter Passaris in Company of Senator Sakaja ana Governor Sonko"]
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Passaris who defeated Rachael Shebesh in the August General Elections to become the Nairobi Women Representatives will have to convince the Jubilee Leadership she is worthy of the position considering she from ODM party.
She also has the daunting task of winning over the Jubilee MCAs who maintain that the deputy governor must be from Jubilee.
