The City Council of Nairobi is under the Ministry of Local Government. The overal decision making organ is the council composed of elected and nominated councilors. The Town Clerk is the Chief Executive Officer of the Council, who oversees the day today management and administrative activities.

In order to effectively discharge its mandate, the Council is organized into fifteen (15) departments, each of them responsible for particular core function areas. The departments are headed by Heads of Departments (Directors) who are responsible for their day today activities, but are answerable to the Town Clerk.

Each department is further sub-divided into sections headed by Assistant Heads of Departments (Assistant Directors). Each department has adopted a unique management structure so that it can offer its mandated services adequately.

The departments are as follows: