Ole Lenku unveils FEDA Party, vows to fight for Maa political autonomy

FEDA Party Leader Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku and Secretary General Prof Meitamei Ololdapash leads the MAA community during the unveiling of the Party at Ufungamano House in Nairobi on November 6, 2026. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku unveiled the Forum for Economic Development Agenda (feda), a political party he hopes will give the Maa community. The venue at the  Ufangamano House was decorated in the party's white colours, with community elders, youth, political aspirants and leaders from across the Maa community attending yesterday’s ceremony.

Lenku said Feda provides an organised political platform through which historically marginalised communities could pursue equitable development, political representation and social justice.

He, however, dismissed suggestions that the party was exclusively meant for the Maa community, insisting it would accommodate Kenyans from all regions who shared its aspirations.

 

"This is not a party for a tribe, it is not a party for a region. It is not a party for a small group. This is a national party because it will advocate for equity and justice from the north to the south, from the west to the east, across our entire country," he said.

The governor argued that the Maa community had reached a point where it needed to organise its political affairs independently rather than depend entirely on established political parties to negotiate for its interests.

The governor further positioned FEDA as a platform for pursuing unfinished constitutional reforms, saying the country had yet to realise the promises of equality, justice and national cohesion contained in the 2010 Constitution.

He also announced that the party had established an election board and a dispute resolution committee as part of efforts to strengthen its institutional structures.

The launch comes after months of growing disagreements between Lenku and ODM leadership over political arrangements in Kajiado ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Lenku had accused senior ODM officials of betraying the party's supporters after they allegedly began campaigning for State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito, who is associated with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), despite his deputy, Martin Moshisho, seeking the Kajiado gubernatorial seat on an ODM ticket.

The governor argued that the move undermined Moshisho's political ambitions and questioned the party's commitment to its grassroots supporters.

The disagreement subsequently spilt into a public confrontation with ODM Secretary General Catherine Omanyo, who challenged Lenku to leave the party if he was dissatisfied with its leadership.

Omanyo accused the governor of criticising the party while continuing to enjoy the benefits of its political platform, reminding him that ODM had handed him a direct ticket in the previous gubernatorial election. She also challenged him to quit rather than remain in the party while questioning its decisions.

Lenku's unveiling of FEDA now provides an alternative political vehicle through which he intends to organise Maa leaders and other communities around a common political agenda.

Addressing supporters, he called on Kenyans who felt excluded from national leadership to join the party, insisting that its agenda would extend beyond regional and ethnic interests.

"We are not here to ask for favours nor seek help, we are here to demand our dignity. We are here to demand justice for those who feel marginalised," he said.

He added that FEDA would pursue alliances with like-minded political formations while maintaining its independence and commitment to what he termed “Haki na Ustawi”.