Mombasa Governor and ODM Deputy Party Leader Abdulswamad Nassir revealed that the eagerly anticipated ODM 20th anniversary celebration in Mombasa was abruptly cancelled after he received an unexpected late-night call from party leader Raila Odinga summoning him to Nairobi.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has revealed that the much-anticipated Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) 20th anniversary celebration that had been planned for Mombasa from October 10 - 12, was cancelled following a call summoning him to Nairobi.
Speaking during a meeting with party delegates in Mvita Sub-county, the ODM deputy party leader narrated how he received an unexpected call, summoning him to Nairobi for an urgent consultation with his party leader, Raila Odinga.
ODM party leader Raila Odinga delivering his speech during ODM Parliamentary Group Meeting at Argyle Grand Hotel in Nairobi on September 22, 2025.
The governor said the call came late on Wednesday evening, catching him off guard as preparations for the coastal celebrations were already complete.
“I was informed that Raila was calling me to Nairobi. When I checked, the only available flight from Mombasa was at 7:45, yet the meeting in Nairobi was starting at 7:30. They told me to join through Zoom. You know, when Raila tells you something, you really have to think about how to respond,” he said.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir addresses head teachers during the Kenya Primary Schools Head Teachers Association Conference in Mombasa on November 4, 2024.
According to Mr Nassir, the party leader explained that several counties were yet to mark the ODM 20th anniversary and that proceeding with the Mombasa celebrations as planned would overshadow the events in other regions.
“Here in Mombasa, we were fully prepared for the celebrations. But Raila told me that some of my colleagues from other parts of the country like Kajiado, Turkana, and Nairobi, had not yet held their events. He said if we went ahead with ours, no one would even be interested in following the others on television,” he told the delegates on Friday.
Reluctantly, he said, the Mombasa team agreed to postpone their celebrations to allow other counties to host theirs first.
“With reluctance, we agreed to postpone our celebrations. The decision was made in the spirit of party unity and fairness,” the governor said.
The governor has been on the ground meeting delegates from across the county in preparation for the now-cancelled event. Last week, the party announced in a statement that the Mombasa event will now be held from November 14 -16.
The party said it resolved to reschedule the Mombasa event after a consultative meeting with its top leadership. The ODM has successfully held the event in Busia, Wajir, Kisii, and Narok counties.
“However, there remains a strong call from other regions across the country for us to extend this historic commemoration to their areas as well to enable those who cannot travel to Mombasa to be part of the fete,” the party said in a statement.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir speaks to the media in Mombasa on June 13, 2025.
However, Mr Nassir announced that despite the cancellation of the event, the county has lined up several curtain-raising activities, including a football tournament on October 9 and 10, featuring four teams, including Shabana, Gor Mahia and Bandari, and the ODM football team.
“After the four teams have played, the winning team will face the ODM team, and I will be there as a striker,” he said.
The governor used the opportunity to urge ODM supporters to rally behind their leaders and strengthen the party from the grassroots.
“This is the only party that has stood firm for the rights of the common man and compensation for victims of extra-judicial killings. Devolution was brought to this country through the spirit of ODM,” he said.
Responding to critics of ODM’s previous political handshakes, first with former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018 and now with President William Ruto in 2024, Mr Nassir defended the party’s approach, saying ODM believes in national unity and cohesion.
Read: How Uhuru-Gachagua silent war puts Opposition unity on the line
He further reiterated the party’s commitment to electoral reforms through the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco) report, arguing that reforms would ensure Kenyans freely elect leaders of their choice and not products of “computers”.
Mr Nassir has urged members to register as voters and participate actively in shaping Kenya’s political future through the ballot.
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