Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir has announced a sweeping reshuffle of his county executive, introducing new faces and reassigning current officials in what he terms a strategic move to boost efficiency, transparency, and public service delivery under his Mwanzo Mpya (New Beginning) agenda.
This marks Governor Abdulswamad’s first major cabinet shake-up since assuming office, signalling a renewed focus on re-aligning his administration’s priorities and strengthening oversight across key departments.
“This reshuffle is about improving governance outcomes, reinforcing accountability, and ensuring that every department delivers on the promise of Mwanzo Mpya,” said the Governor during the announcement made on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
New Appointments and Portfolio Realignments
The most notable changes include Jonathan Wepukhulu’s nomination to head the Department of Public Service Administration, Youth, Gender and Sports, replacing Kenneth Ambani, who had served in the role since 2023.
Ibrahim Khamis Mutwafy has also been nominated to lead the Department of Blue Economy, Cooperatives, Agriculture and Livestock. Both Wepukhulu and Mutwafy await vetting and approval by the Mombasa County Assembly.
Several existing County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) have also been reassigned:
- Kibibi Abdallah moves from Blue Economy to take over the Department of Environment, previously headed by Deputy Governor Francis Thoya.
- Emily Achieng Okelo, who led the Water Department, now takes charge of Climate Change, Energy and Natural Resources.
- Daniel Otieno Manyala retains his post as CECM for Transport and Infrastructure, with Governance functions added to his portfolio.
Additionally, the Governance Department will now oversee:
- Fire and Rescue Services
- County building security
- Traffic management
- Tourism support and emergency coordination
Department Mergers and Functional Consolidation
Governor Abdulswamad also announced several departmental mergers to streamline service delivery:
- Environment and Water portfolios have been merged into a single department.
- Serikali Mtaani functions have been consolidated with Lands, Urban Planning, and Housing, now under Mohamed Hussein Mohamed.
- The Smart City initiative has been moved under the Digital Transformation docket, led by Evans Oanda, who retains oversight of Finance and Economic Planning.
Health, Education, and Trade Retain Leadership
The following officials retained their current positions:
- Dr Swabah Ahmed – Health
- Dr Mbwarali Kame – Education and Vocational Training
- Mohamed Osman – Trade, Tourism and Culture
- Evans Oanda – Finance, Economic Planning and Digital Transformation
Nominees for Chief Officer Positions
A series of Chief Officer nominations were also announced, pending assembly vetting:
- Fatma Nabhani – Finance
- Ally Goshi – Youth
- Engineer Ali Abdulrahman – Transport, Infrastructure and Governance
- Gloria Mwasi – Education and Vocational Training
- Engineer Marian Mapenzi – Lands, Urban Planning and Housing
- Pauline Oginga – Public Service Administration
- Dr Roselyn Randu – Blue Economy
- Hamid Nanda – Environment
- Abdalla Daleno – Climate Change
- Dr Shem Patta – Medical Services (under Health docket)
Deputy Governor Takes on Coordination Role
In a further administrative reform, Deputy Governor Francis Thoya has been tasked with coordinating flagship projects across all county departments to ensure synchronized implementation and accountability.
Governor Abdulswamad said the reshuffle was necessary to build a more agile, responsive, and citizen-centered government, noting that the incoming team will be subjected to thorough vetting by the County Assembly in the coming days.
