Sakaja meets newly-appointed Borough Managers as service decentralisation drive kicks off

The Thursday morning meeting marked the first structured engagement between the managers and the Governor, who framed the appointments as central to the county’s transition to a more efficient devolved governance model.

The Borough Managers will oversee service delivery under the new borough administrative structure that seeks to bring essential county services closer to communities, strengthen coordination, and improve neighbourhood-level responsiveness.

“This is a serious shift in how we want to run the county. We must decentralise services further for better delivery and efficiency,” said Johnson Sakaja. “For Nairobi to work, services must reach the lowest level. As Borough Managers, you are the direct link between County Government and our communities—driving faster responses, better coordination, and improved accountability.”

The administrative restructuring was rolled out last week alongside the reorganisation of 17 sub-counties and 85 wards, forming one of the most extensive governance reforms undertaken by the Nairobi County Government. Sakaja positioned the borough model as a deliberate pivot toward a resident-centred county.

“Our goal is to streamline operations, remove unnecessary bottlenecks, and make Nairobi a city that works, where residents can access services efficiently and effectively,” he added.

The meeting also clarified the borough leadership assignments. The Central Borough, covering Starehe, Mathare, and Kamukunji, will be led by Charles Mabonga, operating from City Hall and Shauri Moyo.

The Eastern Borough, comprising Embakasi North, Embakasi West, and Embakasi Central, will be headed by George Muga, with its coordination office at the Sub-County Administrator’s offices in Umoja I.

The Western Borough, serving Westlands, Dagoretti North, and Dagoretti South, will be managed by Janet Kimeu, operating a service centre at City Park.

The South Eastern Borough, bringing together Embakasi South, Embakasi East, and Makadara, will be headed by John Saruni, operating from the Huduma Centre, Makadara.

The Southern Borough, comprising Kibra and Lang’ata, will be led by Dabasso Wario, working from Joseph Kangethe Social Hall while the Northern Borough, covering Kasarani, Ruaraka, and Roysambu, will be led by Serah Gichamba, with borough operations coordinated from Gatharaini Grounds.

Sakaja underscored that the shift is not just administrative, but strategic, aimed at ensuring Nairobi residents feel a measurable improvement in how services are delivered.

A borough operates as an administrative district with a localised governance structure, designed to decentralise services from central county offices and improve speed, accountability, and access at community level.