Institutionalizing Care in Nairobi: The Establishment of the Nairobi City County Care Sector Technical Working Group (TWG)
Across Nairobi, care work is the invisible backbone that underpins households, communities, and the broader economy. Yet, despite its centrality, the care sector continues to operate in a largely underrecognized, under-resourced, and structurally fragmented landscape. With 49% of residents aged 24–35, Nairobi faces rising childcare demand and growing pressure from dual caregiving responsibilities as families shoulder both young children and aging parents. Caregivers supporting persons with disabilities (PWDs) and individuals living with chronic illnesses frequently encounter barriers to essential services, constraining their capacity to deliver consistent, high-quality care. Despite the government’s central role in service delivery, care programs within Nairobi City County Government remained fragmented, with limited coordination across systems.
Against this backdrop, the Nairobi City County Care Sector Technical Working Group (TWG) was established with the aim of strengthening coordination across government and non-state care actors.
The TWG was formed through a collaborative partnership between Wow Mom Kenya and the Nairobi City County Government (NCCG), with support from Metropolis. This initiative is situated within the broader project, Mainstreaming Care: Strengthening NCCG’s Capacity to Enhance Care Services through Increased Budgets and Policy Implementation, positioning care as a core pillar of urban development within county systems.
The establishment process was both consultative and deliberate, bringing together key stakeholders from government and non-state sectors across the care ecosystem.
At its core, the TWG is designed as a multi-sectoral body, intentionally bringing together diverse actors whose work intersects across the care economy. Its composition reflects the breadth of care needs across the city, including representatives from childcare, care for persons with disabilities, older persons, care for people living with chronic illnesses, domestic workers, as well as refugee and migrant representatives. This diversity is not incidental; it is essential to ensuring that care is addressed holistically, with attention to both service provision and the lived realities of caregivers and care recipients.
The TWG’s mandate is anchored in its Terms of Reference (ToRs), which define its purpose, structure, and operational framework. Under this mandate, the TWG serves as a technical advisory and coordination platform, facilitating information sharing, guiding policy development, and promoting evidence-informed decision-making. It is tasked with strengthening alignment across programs, supporting the integration of care into county planning and budgeting processes, and advancing standards that enhance the quality and accessibility of care services.
The establishment of the TWG was underscored by the formal signing of the Terms of Reference (ToRs) by Mr. Tony Michael Kimani, Chief Officer for Social Services at Nairobi City County Government. In his remarks, he highlighted the long-term vision of creating a sustainable care system for future generations and emphasized that TWG participants’ roles extend beyond current administrative responsibilities, positioning them as architects of Nairobi’s enduring care infrastructure.
The TWG now serves as a central mechanism for advancing care in Nairobi City County with a mandate to drive policy implementation, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and secure increased budget allocations in care services.
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