Dishi na County, bursaries, citizen engagement and the CBD facelift propel top performers as Nairobians assess Sakaja’s executive

NAIROBI — As Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration enters another phase of its tenure, the performance of his County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) is increasingly being judged not only by policy announcements, but by what ordinary Nairobians can see, access and feel in their daily lives.

A performance assessment by Intouch Media and Intouch Polls, based on public-facing service delivery, visibility of programmes and the perceived impact of various county dockets, has placed Health, Wellness and Nutrition at the top, followed by Talent, Skills Development and Care, Inclusivity, Public Participation and Customer Service, Green Nairobi, and Mobility and Works.

The ranking puts Suzanne Silantoi, Brian Mulama and Rosemary Kariuki at the centre of the conversation about the county executives whose dockets have made the strongest impression on Nairobi residents.

1. Suzanne Silantoi — Health, Wellness and Nutrition

Dishi na County puts Health firmly at No. 1

At the top of the ranking is Suzanne Silantoi, the County Executive Committee Member for Health, Wellness and Nutrition.

The biggest driver of the Health docket’s strong performance is undoubtedly Dishi na County, Governor Sakaja’s flagship school feeding programme, which has transformed school meals into one of the most visible county interventions affecting families directly.

The programme has moved beyond simply providing food to schoolchildren and is being positioned as a long-term social investment. The County has been working towards a school-feeding policy that would institutionalise Dishi na County as a permanent county function, giving learners access to nutritious and affordable daily meals.

For many parents, particularly in low-income communities, the programme has provided relief from the daily cost of feeding children while also supporting school attendance and learning.

But the Health docket's performance goes beyond Dishi na County.

Under Silantoi, the county has continued pushing primary healthcare, community health services, maternal and child health, mental health and disease prevention. A major 2026 partnership with Amref and the Qatar Fund for Development is also targeting primary healthcare in some of Nairobi's most populous informal settlements, including Kibera, Mathare, Korogocho and Mukuru, focusing on health infrastructure, WASH services and the health workforce.

The sector has also increasingly embraced evidence-based healthcare, with research being used to guide investments in health infrastructure, service delivery and the welfare of healthcare workers.

For Nairobians, however, it is the combination of Dishi na County, primary healthcare and visible community-focused health programmes that gives Silantoi's docket the edge.

Verdict: A strong No. 1.

2. Brian Mulama — Talent, Skills Development and Care

Education, bursaries and youth empowerment keep Mulama among Nairobi's strongest performers

Coming in at No. 2 is Brian Mulama, who heads the Talent, Skills Development and Care docket.

The docket touches some of the most sensitive areas of Nairobi family life — education, Early Childhood Development, vocational training, sports, youth empowerment and social protection.

Its strongest public-facing achievement has been the continued focus on education support and bursaries, helping needy Nairobi students remain in school.

The county's bursary programme has historically reached hundreds of thousands of learners. In one major allocation, more than 107,000 bursaries and scholarships worth KSh1.025 billion were awarded, demonstrating the scale of the county's education support programme.

Mulama's docket also carries responsibility for ECD and vocational training, youth, talent and sports, making it one of the broadest people-focused sectors in City Hall.

The sector's sports and talent component is particularly important in a city where thousands of young people rely on sport and creative talent as a pathway to employment and opportunity.

The docket is also involved in developing ECD infrastructure, supporting teachers and caregivers, vocational training and social services for vulnerable groups.

Its work on the Caregiving Training Manual and Teacher Management Framework is another example of the sector attempting to strengthen the systems supporting early childhood education.

Mulama's strong showing is also noteworthy because his performance record predates his current posting. He previously headed the Mobility and Works docket, where he also earned visibility before the subsequent changes in the County Executive.

Verdict: Education, youth, sports and social support make this one of the most visible dockets to ordinary Nairobi families.

3. Rosemary Kariuki — Inclusivity, Public Participation and Customer Service

An open-door approach puts Rosemary firmly in the top three

At No. 3 is Rosemary Kariuki, whose Inclusivity, Public Participation and Customer Service docket has gained visibility through a more citizen-facing approach to governance.

One of the biggest advantages of the docket has been what residents describe as an open-door approach, with greater emphasis on listening to citizens, public participation and direct engagement.

Kariuki's sector is responsible for some of the most important links between City Hall and the public — public participation, citizen engagement, customer service, gender and inclusivity, disability mainstreaming and programmes targeting women, children and other vulnerable groups.

The County's Civic Education, Public Participation and Citizen Engagement Status Report was developed to identify gaps in public participation and make citizen engagement more inclusive and meaningful.

Kariuki has also championed the Open Government Partnership Action Plan, which focuses on public participation, civic engagement and civic education, open contracting, open data and building resilience in open government.

The customer-service component is equally significant.

In June 2026, the docket engaged eGov Global, an organisation appointed by the World Bank to spearhead development of a Customer Service Complaints Toolkit, in discussions aimed at strengthening complaint handling, staff capacity and citizen satisfaction.

Kariuki's performance is also strengthened by her record in her previous assignment. Before taking over the current docket, she had served in the talent and skills space and had already established herself as a visible county executive.

Mosiria factor

Another major plus for the docket is Geoffrey Mosiria, the Chief Officer for Public Participation, Citizen Engagement and Customer Service.

Mosiria has brought with him a reputation for being highly visible and hands-on. His previous tenure in the Environment docket made him one of the more recognisable county officials, particularly because of his active inspections and enforcement work.

His visibility has continued in the citizen-engagement docket, helping make the department more recognisable to Nairobi residents.

The combination of Kariuki's open-door political leadership and Mosiria's highly visible administrative approach has given the docket an important connection with the public.

Verdict: A strong citizen-facing docket and a deserving No. 3.

4. Maureen Njeri — Green Nairobi

Environment moves from policy to street-level visibility

At No. 4 is Maureen Njeri, CECM for Green Nairobi — Environment, Water, Food and Agriculture.

This is arguably one of the most difficult dockets in Nairobi because its responsibilities touch almost every neighbourhood — from garbage collection and waste management to parks, water, sanitation, climate action, food systems and environmental protection.

The County officially lists Hibrahim Otieno Nyakach as Chief Officer for Environment, alongside separate chief officers responsible for water and sewerage and food, agriculture and natural resources.

The docket has gained visibility through intensified city cleaning and environmental programmes.

In May 2026, Nairobi announced the integration of Climate Worx teams into routine citywide cleaning operations, bringing together multiple agencies and officers across all 17 sub-counties in an effort to strengthen waste management and climate resilience.

The County has also been pursuing a sustainable financing mechanism for solid waste management through consultations on integrating a proposed conservancy fee into monthly water bills.

On air pollution, the County has developed an Air Quality Action Plan covering transport, urban planning, industry, households, energy and waste, while expanding the use of air-quality monitoring data.

For many Nairobians, however, the most important test remains simple: Is the city getting cleaner? Are garbage collection and environmental enforcement improving?

That is where the docket will continue to face its biggest test.

Verdict: Strong visibility and a wide mandate, with waste management remaining the key measure of success.

5. Ibrahim Auma Nyangoya — Mobility and Works

CBD facelift gives Mobility and Works a boost — but matatu chaos remains

Rounding off the top five is Ibrahim Auma Nyangoya, CECM for Mobility and Works.

The docket has benefited significantly from the visible transformation of parts of the Nairobi CBD.

In May 2026, the County showcased renovated and rehabilitated walkways along key CBD arteries including Moi Avenue, Tom Mboya Street and areas around Kencom and Ambassador, featuring modern cabro paving, Victorian-style LED lighting, smart solar benches and improved pedestrian spaces.

The sector is also responsible for roads, transport infrastructure, traffic management, public transport coordination and street lighting — making its work highly visible to motorists, pedestrians and commuters.

Nyangoya's docket has also pushed transport reforms, with the County reporting that 14 transport regulations were passed and gazetted in 2025, covering areas including public service vehicles, parking, traffic operations, non-motorised transport, signage and lighting.

The recent approval of Phase I of the Nairobi Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transit System, covering the CBD underground core and Eastlands Line, further places mobility at the centre of Nairobi's long-term transport agenda.

However, the sector still has a major problem to solve: the continued disorder surrounding matatu stages in the CBD.

While some stages may provide short-term convenience to commuters, the long-term goal must be to properly reorganise public transport and remove unnecessary matatu concentration from the CBD. Poorly regulated stage allocation, congestion and competition for road space continue to undermine the gains made through the city's physical facelift.

The sector therefore has a clear opportunity to move from improving the look and walkability of the CBD to delivering a more orderly and efficient public transport system.

Verdict: Visible infrastructure gains, but transport order remains the big unfinished business.

The Top Five at a Glance

1. Suzanne Silantoi — Health, Wellness and Nutrition
Dishi na County, primary healthcare and community health push the docket to the top.

2. Brian Mulama — Talent, Skills Development and Care
Bursaries, education, ECD, youth, sports and talent development make it a people-focused powerhouse.

3. Rosemary Kariuki — Inclusivity, Public Participation and Customer Service
Open-door leadership, citizen engagement and customer service give the docket strong public visibility.

4. Maureen Njeri — Green Nairobi
Waste management, environmental action, Climate Worx and air-quality initiatives keep the docket in the top five. - Chief Officer Hibrahim Otieno Nyakach

5. Ibrahim Auma Nyangoya — Mobility and Works
CBD rehabilitation, roads and transport reforms boost the docket, although matatu-stage disorder remains a major challenge.

The bigger picture

The ranking suggests that the Nairobians' perception of county performance is increasingly tied to visible, practical and everyday services.

Dishi na County reaches the kitchen tables of thousands of families. Bursaries touch students and parents. Citizen engagement determines how residents interact with City Hall. Environmental services determine whether neighbourhoods are clean, while roads and mobility determine how Nairobians move around the capital.

That is ultimately the measure of a county executive's performance — not the number of meetings held at City Hall, but whether residents can see, feel and experience the difference in their daily lives.

This ranking is an assessment by Intouch Media and Intouch Polls based on public-facing performance, visibility of programmes, service delivery and perceived impact. It is not an official Nairobi City County Government ranking.