Sakaja Reassigns Three Nairobi Officials After Mosiria Declares 2027 Governorship Bid

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has reassigned three senior county officials following Geoffrey Mosiria’s declaration that he intends to challenge him for the governorship in the 2027 General Election.

The changes took effect immediately under a notice issued by County Secretary and Head of County Public Service Machel Waikenda. The directive, approved by Sakaja under the County Governments Act, redistributed responsibilities across several departments, with some placed under acting leadership.

Eng. Samwel Njogu has been appointed Acting Chief Officer for Mobility. Zipporah Njeri Mwangi, who oversees City Culture, Arts and Tourism, has taken on additional duties as Acting Chief Officer for Public Participation, Citizen Engagement and Customer Service. Godfrey Akumali will retain responsibility for Housing and Urban Renewal while serving as Acting Chief Officer for Lands.

The reorganisation comes shortly after Mosiria announced his intention to run for governor in 2027. His declaration has added a political dimension to his differences with Sakaja, under whose administration he previously served as Chief Officer for Citizen Engagement and Customer Service.

Mosiria said his experience working across various county departments had prepared him to lead Nairobi. He also proposed former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru as a possible running mate, although it remains unclear whether the idea has progressed beyond the initial suggestion.

In recent months, Mosiria has become an outspoken critic of aspects of the county administration, questioning its approach to governance, service delivery and the management of county affairs. On the day the reshuffle was announced, Mosiria alleged that there were efforts to silence him and prevent him from exposing what he described as irregularities at City Hall. 

He had previously claimed that disagreements with Sakaja over public resources and service delivery had led to his marginalisation within the administration. These allegations have not been independently verified.

Mosiria first gained wider public recognition while heading the county’s environment department. He became known for enforcement operations targeting illegal dumping, noise pollution and other environmental offences. His direct approach and frequent public engagements helped establish him as a prominent figure in Nairobi’s county administration.