Sakaja's realignment triggers infighting within ODM as new entrants jostle for top seat

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Kisii Governor Simba Arati at the ODM Jacaranda rally on October 31, 2026. [Bernard Orwongo, Standard]

The race to control Nairobi ahead of the 2027 general election continues to heat up as new entrants throw their hat in the ring.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku is the latest entrant into the already crowded contest and has announced plans to wrestle for the seat under a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket.

His announcement comes amid political realignments that saw Governor Johnson Sakaja abandon the ruling UDA party to join the orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which has already signalled that he is the party’s preferred gubernatorial flag bearer. The move, however, threatens to ignite infighting within the party and confusion among the electorate.

Ruku, while declaring his bid on Wednesday, took aim at Sakaja’s record, noting that he had been unable to address issues afflicting Nairobians such as deteroriating roads, poor garbage collection, water shortages and poor urban planning of the capital.

“There are serious leadership issues as afar as Nairobi is concerned. Even getting one flagship project right, even making Nairobi clan is a problem. Why should it be a problem in this age? Posed Ruku during an interview with one of the local dailies.

The CS’ declaration now ensures that UDA has a horse in the race, after it lost the incumbent to one of its affiliate parties under the broad-based coalition arrangement.

But Sakaja’s defection to ODM has not only jolted the capital’s political landscape and but also set the stage for a power struggle within the Orange party.

Sakaja on Monday announced that he had severed ties with the President William Ruto-led UDA party and was openly received by senior ODM party officials led by the Deputy Party leader Simba Arati at the Nairobi headquarters. His dalliance with the party’s top brass, including with ODM party leader Oburu Odinga, also signals that he is the favourite to clinch the gubernatorial ticket and fly the ODM flag.

Moments after announcing that he had joined ODM, Sakaja visited Oburu at his home on Monday, where he was formally welcomed into the party. Oburu described the Governor’s arrival as a significant boost to the party as it seeks to expand its membership and strengthen its political base.

Sakaja was later received at ODM headquarters, Chungwa House, by senior party officials led by Deputy Party Leader Simba Arati, National Chairperson Gladys Wanga and Deputy Party Leader Hassan Joho.

Speaking at Chungwa House, Sakaja attributed his decision  to the influence of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, ODM’s founding leader.

“Baba, Raila Odinga is the one who told me to join ODM,” Sakaja said.

The Governor’s realignment was in line with his bid for a second term in office and will now be looking for the backing of ODM for the gubernatorial seat come 2027.

 His arrival at the party has however, already triggered friction among long-standing party loyalists who view his crossing over as opportunistic. The realignment now threatens to ignite intense infighting and deep confusion within the Orange party’s grassroots structures, given that veteran stalwarts such as Makadara MP George Aladwa had already expressed interest in the gubernatorial seat.

Aladwa, who was endorsed by a section of ODM delegates to contest for the seat in September, has long held that the ticket for the coveted gubernatorial seat should go to loyal party members rather than handing a direct ticket to newcomers like Sakaja.

And already, Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai has questioned Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s move to the ODM, saying the party should subject him to an extensive interview before accepting his membership application.

Right before the announcement of  Sakaja’s realignment was made, Alai on Monday questioned the party’s decision to consider leaders from other political formations, simultaneously while enquiring why the party had not developed its own leaders through its structures to become Nairobi governor.

“So 20 years after we formed ODM, the party can’t produce an individual who grew through its systems to be governor of Nairobi?” posed Alai.

“How is ODM onboarding Sakaja good for the city? How is Sakaja defecting from the President’s party? Does Sakaja believe Ruto is politically done or what is it? Something is wrong here. If ODM really supports Sakaja, it should interview Sakaja for hours before accepting his application,” added the MCA.

Sakaja’s move to ODM has also attracted criticism from across the political divide, with a section of the political class questioning the move.

Democracy for Citizens party-allied MP Onesmus Ngogoyo claimed that the ODM party had disintegrated post Raila, and it ought to have brought in a better caliber of leaders in the lead-up to the 2027 polls.

“It comes to me as a surprise because ODM would have better candidates...Raila left a strong party but if ODM today is talking about Sakaja it is worrying. This is a governor known for not showing up at the office or attending meetings,” stated Ngogoyo who is the Kajiado North MP. 

“Looking at Sakaja in the last four years, he represents the worst of Nairobi. He has brought the City to its knees. Nairobi is stinking. When you go down Muthurwa it is no longer the Nairobi that you know. When you go to the industrial area you will find county roads that are in damage. When you look at MCAs, they are complaining every now and then that the county is not able to do anything,” added the lawmaker.

But in his defence, Sakaja holds that his move to ditch UDA was informed by a need to strengthen the ODM party. In a  bid to forestall any infighting with his new party, he also claimed that he had not gone there to take anyone's position and was only after the position he currently holds.

The governor maintained that Raila had personally encouraged him to join ODM, adding that he remained committed to the former Prime Minister’s political vision.

“Baba alisema aje? Ataka Nairobi imara. Na Nairobi lazima ikae iimara. Tutafanya yote vilivyo inawezekanavyo kuleta nguvu kwa ODM Nairobi,” he said.

The governor also recalled attending a meeting with Raila ahead of his trip to the African Union, where he said the former Prime Minister had urged leaders to strengthen ODM in Nairobi.

His sentiments however, come amidst unconfirmed and unsubstantiated allegations by critics that Sakaja’s choice to move to ODM was premised on the fact that he had been paying it off to avoid impeachment at the County Assembly where

Former Nairobi County Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria has also poured cold water on Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja's claim that he ditched UDA for ODM because the late Raila Odinga asked him to join the Orange Party.

In a statement, Mosiria said the departed ODM founder would never associate with leaders like Sakaja.

“Admitting individuals with questionable reputations and integrity into ODM is an insult to Baba’s legacy and everything he stood for. His legacy deserves to be protected, respected and upheld,” Mosiria wrote.

Political pundits now argue that  Sakaja’s problems go beyond the party gates. They observe that the widening fractures within ODM party have handed a golden opportunity to an already fragmented opposition and suggest that if the opposition forces build a united front, they could easily clinch the city’s top seat.

Some of the leaders who from the opposition who have already announced their bids for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat include Embakasi North MP James Gakuya who is being fronted by the DCP party and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino who announced that he will be contesting for the seat under his party The Mwananchi party.

Observers are now convinced that should the opposition rally behind a strong candidate such as Babu owino and ride on his populist wave, then Sakaja’s gamble at chungwa house may as well backfire. However, should the opposition fail to reach a consensus and field both Babu and Gakuya, then they risk splitting their votes and handing Sakaja a golden ticket to his send term as the City chief.

Professor of Management and Politics, Gitile Naituli, avers that despite the move by Sakaja, the political dynamics had shifted following Raila’s exit from the political scene.

“The reality is that ODM is gone and will not be able to elect anybody in Nairobi. The party has long been a coalition of Luos, Luhya’s and Kambas. I can confidently argue that it currently does not have the Luhyas and Kambas as coalition partners, meaning that the only seat that might be contested for ODM in Nairobi would be in Ruaraka and Kibera. So I wouldn’t be worried so much about what happens with ODM in Nairobi,”says Naituli. 

“Even in Nyanza, ODM will be lucky to produce more than five MP seats because what has happened with the exit of Raila Odinga from the political scene is that Luo Nyanza is liberated to produce leaders for Kenya. Previously, one would be nominated by ODM and even didn’t need to campaign and they would win but now you are going to have people elected in the region with independent tickets. The political dynamics have fundamentally shifted and I therefore don’t think anyone should be worried by ODM especially in Nairobi,” he adds.

Longtime ODM MP Jared Okeyo, however, opines that Sakaja’s move to the Chungwa Party not only adds vibrancy and relevance to the party but also gives the party more visibility at a time when critics have said its fortunes were dwindling.

“Sakaja’s political experience, from his time as the chairperson of the TNA to his stints in Parliament and the Senate and now as a Governor, puts him at a vantage position to have proper lenses on what happens in Nairobi and politics in general. I believe this move by Sakaja is informed by a lot of analysis,”sayd Okeyo.

Adding, “For a politician to make such a move, there are personal interests and safeguarding that interest is key. For him to have chosen ODM out of other political parties in the country is a testament that ODM remains a vibrant political movement. He could have chosen to remain in ODM or go to Linda Mwananchi but it suffices to say that he chose ODM because it still holds a lot of sway in the country.