Babu Owino dismisses Mosiria’s Sh20 million claim after Sakaja fires aide [Photo: Courtesy]
Geoffrey Mosiria has been removed from his position as Nairobi County Chief Officer for Public Participation, Citizen Engagement and Customer Service, days after declaring his interest in challenging Governor Johnson Sakaja for the city’s top seat in the 2027 General Election.
The county government announced the changes on Wednesday, October 21, appointing Zipporah Njeri Mwangi to take over the docket in an acting capacity. She will retain her existing responsibilities as Chief Officer for City Culture, Arts and Tourism.
The move came amid a public fallout between Mosiria and his boss, with the former county official recently alleging that their relationship deteriorated after disagreements over his work and the governor’s leadership.
In an interview with a local podcast, Mosiria claimed that respect between the two had broken down, alleging that Sakaja responded rudely when he confronted him about his concerns.
“It got to a point when the respect went out of the door,” Mosiria said.
Keep Reading
He further alleged that Sakaja had insisted he was Nairobi’s governor and could do as he wished.
Mosiria’s removal adds a new dimension to the emerging contest for Nairobi’s governorship, which is expected to feature Sakaja seeking a second term against several potential challengers, including Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.
The former chief officer had declared his gubernatorial ambitions on October 11 during a visit involving Jubilee leaders to Bishop Margaret Wanjiru’s Jesus Is Alive Ministries Church. He said he wanted to fix the city and suggested that Wanjiru could serve as his deputy.
His departure from City Hall followed months of public criticism of the county administration. In a statement issued after his removal, Mosiria alleged that he had been sidelined for nearly three years, claiming that his responsibilities and departmental budget had been reduced.
He said the health budget under his watch had fallen from Sh1.2 billion to Sh100 million, alleging that the changes followed his refusal to facilitate direct procurement arrangements that he claimed would have favoured people close to the governor and county contractors.
The allegations have not been independently established. The county notice announcing the reshuffle did not give a specific reason for Mosiria’s removal.
Mosiria also directed criticism at Babu, alleging that the legislator had previously attacked Sakaja over the state of Nairobi’s roads before seeking money to stop his criticism.
According to Mosiria, Babu allegedly demanded Sh50 million and received Sh20 million, after which his criticism of the governor supposedly diminished.
Responding to the allegations, Babu dismissed Mosiria in remarks to this writer.
“He is a lunatic. A direct product of a mental institution,” Babu said.
Babu’s response did not provide further details about the alleged payment, and the Sh20 million claim remains unverified.
The allegations introduce another point of contention in the race for Nairobi’s governorship, with both Babu and Mosiria having expressed interest in the seat. Their political ambitions, alongside Sakaja’s expected re-election bid, could intensify competition over the county government’s record and the direction of the capital.
For Sakaja, the challenge will be to defend his administration’s performance as residents continue to raise concerns about garbage collection, drainage, traffic congestion, street lighting and other essential services.
Babu, meanwhile, would need to build support beyond his Embakasi East constituency and present a credible plan for running the county if he decides to pursue the seat.
With Mosiria now out of his county government position, his next political moves will be watched closely as the 2027 contest takes shape. The latest developments also leave questions about the breakdown of his relationship with Sakaja and the allegations he has levelled against the governor.
Neither the accusations against Sakaja nor the alleged payment to Babu should be treated as established fact without independent evidence.