Geoffrey Mosiria, the vocal chief officer known for his active use of social media to champion a cleaner Nairobi, is among the key officials affected in Governor Johnson Sakaja’s latest reshuffle.
Mr Mosiria, previously in charge of Environment, has been moved to the Customer Service department—a role widely viewed as a demotion due to its reduced responsibilities.
The outspoken officer has consistently used platforms such as TikTok and X to advocate for proper waste management and to call out individuals and companies engaged in illegal dumping. He has urged residents to participate in cleanup efforts and to dispose of waste responsibly.
However, the changes appear not to have fully addressed concerns raised by Nairobi Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) regarding leadership within his cabinet.
Some of the chief officers the MCAs had issues with include Lydia Mathia and Asha Abdi. Ms Abdi, who heads the Finance and Planning department, was among those the MCAs wanted replaced.
Their position was reinforced during a recent meeting at State House chaired by President William Ruto and attended by Governor Sakaja and UDA-affiliated MCAs.
Despite this, the governor has retained Lydia Mathia in his administration, moving her from Housing and Urban Renewal to Business and Hustler Opportunities.
This decision goes against the MCAs’ calls for her removal. Ms Mathia has faced accusations of unlawfully evicting residents from county estates such as Woodley and replacing them without following due process.
A recent resolution by the County Assembly to oust her prompted her to seek court protection. During the Woodley eviction, residents reported harassment by suspected county-linked goons.
In the new changes, Godfrey Akumali has been moved from the Trade sector to the Housing and Urban department. Akumali also serves as the Acting County Secretary. Tony Michael Kimani has been reassigned from Social Services to Social Services and Estate Management.
Hibrahim Otieno returns to the Environment docket, moving from Medical Facilities, while Sande Oyolo takes over Medical Facilities after being transferred from Digital Economy.
Wilson Gakuya becomes the new Chief Officer for Digital Economy, moving from Smart Nairobi, which will now be overseen by Clement Rapudo, formerly in charge of City Culture.
Additionally, Dr Machel Waikenda, the Chief Officer for Mobility, has been given extra responsibilities as the Acting Chief Officer for ICT.
City Culture will now be headed by Zipporah Mwangi, who shifts from the Customer Service docket.
