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File photo of Ann Kananu Mwenda, who was on January 6, 2020 nominated as Deputy Governor by Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko. PHOTO| COURTESY
Who is Ann Kananu Mwenda, the Nairobi deputy governor nominee?
Ann Kananu Mwenda was on Monday thrust in the public eye following her nomination to the position of Nairobi County Deputy Governor.
Ms. Mwenda is the current Nairobi County Chief Officer for Disaster Management and Coordination, a position she has held for the last two years.
Before she was appointed to be in-charge of the county’s Disaster Management and Coordination docket, she served as a security supervisor in charge of quality control and training at the Kenya Airports Authority for 13 years.
Prior to that, she worked as a personal assistant at H. Mogambi & Co Advocates as well as Mokir Enterprises, which was a Safaricom Consultancy firm responsible for handling customer services.
Ms. Mwenda also previously served as a switchboard operator at the Kenya College of Communications Technology.
In 2018, during vetting for the County Chief Officer for Disaster Management and Coordination position, Ms. Mwenda disclosed that she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminology and Security Management from Dedan Kimathi University obtained in 2016.
She further told the vetting committee that she has a Diploma in Criminology and Security Management from St. Paul’s University undertaken in 2013.
According to her vetting report seen by Citizen Digital, she also undertook two certificate courses in Human Resource Management and Public Relations at University of Nairobi between 2011-2012.
She is also trained in disaster management and security as well as active shooting and hostage training.
Ms. Mwenda cleared her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education at Our Lady of Mercy High School in 1999.
While not much is publicly known about Ms. Mwenda, it is her nomination by a Governor barred from office over graft charges that has raised eyebrows.
“I humbly urge the County Assembly to expedite the vetting process of the said nominee, for purposes of appointment, as per the provisions of the County Government Act, Section 8 (1) (a),” said Sonko is a letter to County Assembly Beatrice Elachi.
Ms. Mwenda’s unforeseen nomination triggered a myriad reactions with opinion divided on whether the Governor has violated court orders by nominating a deputy yet he is barred from accessing office.
