Suzanne Silantoi has quietly become one of the more intriguing figures in Nairobi’s county government.
As the current CEC for Health, Wellness and Nutrition under Governor Johnson Sakaja, she manages a sprawling docket that includes 124 health facilities, more than 4,000 health workers, and the Dishi na County school feeding programme, which distributes over 300,000 meals daily. But there is far more to her story than her current title suggests.
1. She once ran against the man who is now her boss
At just 23 years old, Silantoi threw her hat into the ring for the Nairobi Senatorial seat in 2017, contesting as an independent candidate. She lost that race to none other than Johnson Sakaja. Nearly a decade on, she serves in his cabinet.
2. She is half Maasai, half Samburu and a trained musician
Silantoi comes from both the Maasai and Samburu communities. She attended Moi Girls High School before enrolling at Kenyatta University, where she completed a Bachelor of Music degree in 2015.
3. Her postgraduate education took her across two continents
Following her undergraduate studies, Silantoi pursued a Master’s degree in Public Policy Analysis at the University of York in the United Kingdom. She also holds a certificate in Political Economic Risk Analysis from Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Prior to joining county government, she worked as a policy analyst at Africa Practice.
4. Health is actually her second docket in Sakaja’s Cabinet
When Sakaja unveiled his cabinet in October 2022, Silantoi was initially appointed CEC for Inclusivity, Public Participation and Customer Service. A major cabinet reshuffle on 13 July 2023 saw her move to the Health portfolio, taking over from Dr Anastasia Nyalita in what effectively amounted to a promotion given the scale of the docket.
5. She has not been without controversy
In April 2026, Silantoi gazetted new boards for county hospitals, among them the appointment of Calvince Okoth, widely known as Gaucho, to the Mama Lucy Hospital board.
That same year in October, former Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria appeared on the Iko Nini podcast and accused her of incompetence and absenteeism. The allegations gained significant traction online but remain unverified.
