‘Budget cuts, internal frustrations’: Mosiria fires back at Sakaja after sacking

Sacked Nairobi County Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria has accused Governor Johnson Sakaja of sidelining him for nearly three years, claiming budget cuts and internal frustrations undermined his ability to discharge his duties long before his formal dismissal on Wednesday.

In a statement posted on his official social media accounts minutes after the announcement of his removal, Mosiria alleged that Sakaja stripped him of his responsibilities as an accounting officer in December 2023 and subsequently reduced the budget for his then health docket from Ksh.1.2 billion to Ksh.100 million.

Mosiria claimed the changes followed his refusal to facilitate direct procurement arrangements that he alleges would have favoured individuals close to the Governor and contractors.

“Thank you, my boss, for making my sacking official. However, what you forgot to tell Nairobi residents and Kenyans is that you effectively dismissed me on 28th December 2023, when you took away my constitutionally assigned mandate as an Accounting Officer and handed it to my junior officers…which was unprocedural,” stated Mosiria.

He further alleged that Sakaja confronted him during a WhatsApp conference call attended by the Governor's Chief of Staff, one Osman Khalifa, over his position on the procurement matters.

He was later transferred to the Environment docket, where he claims he was sidelined as his director reported directly to the Governor, leaving him with little work to do.

Mosiria says he opted to continue working on the streets, leading operations that he argued should have been handled by junior officers, in a bid to continue serving Nairobi residents.

The ousted Nairobi County official also cited what he described as sustained internal and public attacks, alongside a court case in which he faced the prospect of a six-month jail term over alleged contempt of court.

Mosiria claimed the legal proceedings were part of efforts to push him out of office, adding that he was subsequently transferred to the Public Participation, Citizen Engagement and Customer Service docket.

“I endured frustrations, official WhatsApp group attacks, public attacks, and a court case that nearly saw me jailed for six months over alleged contempt of court, which was well planned to kick me out of office, and when I asked why, what followed was a transfer to customer service,” he stated.

Despite the frustrations, he said he remained in office hoping to regain Sakaja's trust and get an opportunity to deliver on his mandate.

“My last meeting with you was as my boss whom we should be meeting regularly to discuss important issues about Nairobi was in 28 December 2023, when you stripped me of my responsibilities at your private office in Riverside,” he said.

Mosiria added that his attempts to resolve his grievances had been unsuccessful, claiming the Governor rarely answered his calls or responded to his messages.

He also alleged that he had received information that preparations were underway for a court case intended to have him jailed, without providing further details to substantiate the claim.

“I hope Nairobi people know who belongs in jail and who should serve them,” he said.

The latest exchange comes after Sakaja, through County Secretary and Head of Public Service Dr Machel Waikenda, dismissed Mosiria from his position, with Zipporah Njeri Mwangi taking over the responsibilities in an acting capacity.

The changes were announced on Wednesday, October 21, alongside the reassignment of two other county chief officers.

Mosiria's dismissal also comes days after he declared his intention to challenge Sakaja for the Nairobi governorship in the 2027 General Election, branding himself “Mr Fix-it” and pledging to address the capital's longstanding challenges.

In his latest statement, Mosiria said he was encouraged by calls from Nairobi residents urging him to seek the Governor's seat, adding that his political ambitions were driven by a desire to improve service delivery rather than engage in personal battles.

“My desire has never been to fight anyone; it has always been to fix the systems and serve the people of Nairobi,” he said.