Nairobi County Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria has opened up about his fallout with Governor Johnson Sakaja, accusing the county boss of sidelining him after disagreements over the management of public funds and service delivery.
Mr Mosiria, who is in charge of Citizen Engagement and Customer Service, said his differences with the governor date back to 2023, when he questioned a decision to strip him of his accounting officer powers in the Health department and transfer them to facility chief executive officers.
He said the disagreement marked the beginning of his strained relationship with the governor, culminating in his reassignment from Health to Environment in 2024 and, later, to his current position in a county cabinet reshuffle in November 2025.
While Governor Sakaja said the changes were intended to improve service delivery, Mr Mosiria viewed his successive transfers as demotions which he believes were prompted by his performance and efforts to hold county officials accountable.
In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Mosiria said he last had a substantive conversation with the governor in December 2023, when he sought an explanation for the withdrawal of his accounting officer powers.
“I sat down with him and asked him why they stripped me of my accounting officer powers and handed them over to junior officers whom I am supposed to supervise,” he said.
Mr Mosiria said he expected the concerns he raised during the meeting to be addressed. Instead, he was subsequently transferred from the Health docket, a move he says left him increasingly isolated within the county administration.
He said the change was particularly frustrating because he had been pushing for the provision of medicines and medical equipment in health facilities, as well as improvements in service delivery.
Nairobi City County Government Chief Officer in charge of Citizen Engagement and Customer Service Mr Geoffrey Mosiria.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
Mr Mosiria claimed that after raising questions about the management of the department, some junior officers began avoiding him and treating him as an outsider.
He also denied claims insubordination to the governor, arguing that his efforts to improve services had been misconstrued as an attempt to undermine his boss.
“I have never insubordinated my boss, but when they took away my powers, I started facing sabotage. I was seen as an outsider and my hard work did not sit well with my bosses,” he said.
Since then, he said, several attempts to secure an audience with Governor Sakaja have been unsuccessful. He claimed the governor only contacts him when he needs something, but does not respond when he seeks a meeting to discuss his concerns.
“Up to date, he only calls me when he wants something, but whenever I try to seek an appointment, he says he will give me a date, which has never happened. That meeting has never happened,” he said.
Attacks on WhatsApp groups
Beyond his differences with the governor, Mr Mosiria accused some City Hall officials of prioritising the plunder of public funds over service delivery.
He also claimed that his continued engagement with Nairobi residents particularly through social media, had made him uncomfortable with his position in the county administration.
The rift has since taken a political dimension with Mr Mosiria declaring his intention to challenge Governor Sakaja in the 2027 General Election.
He claimed that his political ambitions had further strained relations with the governor's allies, accusing some junior county officials of attacking him in WhatsApp groups including, one he identified as “Governor Monitoring”.
“His junior officers have been attacking me on WhatsApp groups. They have been attacking me on a daily basis, but I always keep quiet,” he said.
Despite announcing his intention to run for governor, Mr Mosiria said he would not resign from his county job until the official campaign period begins.
“I will only resign when the time to start the campaigns comes. Why should I resign from the government job? This is not someone’s job,” he said.
However, Mr Mosiria declined to disclose the political party through which he intends to contest, saying he would make the announcement at the appropriate time.
He acknowledged that he might not have sufficient funds to finance a gubernatorial campaign but expressed confidence that residents of Nairobi who have urged him to run will support his bid.
Efforts to reach Governor Sakaja for a response to the allegations were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered.
