Kenya: Sakaja Says He Is Not Joining ODM to Displace Anyone As He Declares Second-Term Bid

What the report says

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has moved to calm concerns within Kenya’s Orange Democratic Movement after joining the party and announcing that he wants a second term as Nairobi governor on an ODM ticket. According to Capital FM, which was republished by AllAfrica, Sakaja said in Nairobi that he was not entering the party to push aside existing leaders, but to secure his own role as he prepares for the 2027 General Election.

The governor said he planned to discuss the party’s nomination process with ODM leaders and other interested aspirants, including Nairobi politician George Aladwa, as competition for the ticket begins to take shape. The article says Sakaja’s move was received by senior ODM figures including deputy party leaders Simba Arati and Hassan Joho, party chairperson Gladys Wanga and National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed, who all welcomed him and pledged fair nominations.

Sakaja also linked his political shift to the broader working relationship between ODM and President William Ruto’s camp, saying the parties are now cooperating in government. He rejected suggestions that he had been acting as an ODM proxy while elected under the UDA banner, arguing that he had long worked with ODM in the Nairobi County Assembly because of the party’s strength there.

The development matters because it could reshape Nairobi’s 2027 gubernatorial race and test how ODM manages competition among high-profile contenders. The report also reflects the party’s effort to present Sakaja’s arrival as a sign of strength rather than internal displacement.