Nairobi City County Government’s Boroughs and Sub-County Administration sub sector concluded a series of highly successful public participation forums at Charter Hall, City Hall, marking a crucial milestone in the development of the Nairobi City County Boroughs Administration and Coordination Policy aimed at strengthening governance, improving coordination, and enhancing service delivery across the city.
The high profile engagements brought together senior county executives, operational leadership—including Borough Managers, Sub-county Administrators, and Ward Administrators alongside a robust turnout of external stakeholders.
Key representatives in attendance included the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the National Construction Authority (NCA), the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), resident associations, Bunge la Mwananchi, civil society organizations, and residents from sub-counties across Nairobi, including Starehe, Mathare, Dagoretti North and South, Westlands, Kamukunji, Embakasi, Kasarani, Lang’ata, Ruaraka, Kibra, and Makadara.
“The Nairobi City County Boroughs Administration and Coordination Policy is vital for structuring decentralized services, streamlining multi-sector coordination, and improving operational efficiency across Nairobi’s sub-counties,” said S.G. Mwangi, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Boroughs Administration and Personnel who strongly drummed up support for the new policy while leading the deliberations.
He emphasized that meaningful public participation is essential in developing a framework that responds directly to the needs of Nairobi residents.
“Achieving institutional alignment and ensuring our external partners and community representatives completely own this policy is the foundation of its eventual success on the ground,” noted Bernard Muia Kiala, the County Chief Officer for Boroughs and Sub-County Administration, emphasizing the importance of administrative synergy.
He reaffirmed the county’s commitment to inclusive governance, noting that the Governor’s “Let’s Make Nairobi Work” agenda, launched in 2022, is founded on listening to residents, adding that the creation of the proposed six boroughs directly followed recommendations made by the public during earlier consultations.
During the sessions, the draft policy was presented by Makori, the Chairman of the technical committee.
Makori explained that the framework seeks to strengthen coordination among boroughs, improve service delivery, enhance citizen participation, and support better planning through improved data management, while actively addressing systemic challenges such as delayed service delivery and inadequate resources.
Further support for the policy was echoed by Assistant Inspector General and Nairobi City County Liaison Officer, Tom Mboya Odero, who strongly drummed up support for the initiative.
He called for stronger integration of security into borough operations through improved coordination, disaster preparedness, enhanced emergency response, and the development of clear standard operating procedures to bridge communication across the county’s administrative structures and the public.
Participants actively submitted their views on the draft policy, raising constructive concerns regarding the cost implications of the proposed borough system, the nomenclature, and the underlying legal framework.
Responding to these submissions, Advocate Evans Mogire from the Office of the County Attorney assured stakeholders that the draft policy had been meticulously developed in line with the Constitution and relevant legal provisions, guaranteeing that all views received would be legally reviewed.
Joyce Kyengo, the Director in charge of Boroughs and Sub-County Administration, alongside Director of Public Participation Patrick Angasa, commended the exceptional stakeholder turnout and active participation.
They assured the forum that all views, recommendations, and proposals collected would be carefully considered and incorporated as the county finalizes the draft policy, reaffirming Nairobi City County’s commitment to inclusive governance and improved service delivery across the city.
