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Sakaja’s endorsement in limbo as section of ODM backs Aladwa for Nairobi governor
Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja addresses residents of Mathare Constituency in Nairobi during President William Ruto's tour on March 11, 2025.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja may need to reconsider his bid for the Orange Democratic Movement ticket for a second term as Nairobi governor, after senior party officials in Nairobi made a declaration.
On Thursday, the Nairobi ODM branch announced that it will field a candidate in the 2027 elections to regain the governorship, a position the party has not held since 2013, when Dr Evans Kidero was City Hall boss.
Sakaja was elected on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, but has recently been leaning towards the ODM, particularly since the death of its leader, Raila Odinga, this month.
Makadara MP and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Nairobi Branch Chair George Aladwa (left) cheers on ODM delegates during a party meeting on October 30, 2025. He is joined by Kisii County Governor Simba Arati.
At a meeting chaired by Kisii Governor Simba Arati, one of the three deputy party leaders, the leaders announced that ODM tickets would only be given to bona fide members.
“I want to indicate that all the elective posts, especially this Nairobi. If you want to be the governor, you must be in ODM. If you want to be the senator of Nairobi, you must remain to be in ODM,” Governor Arati said.
This comes amid questions over the endorsement of Governor Sakaja in March this year at the Bomas of Kenya. Governor Sakaja was endorsed by Mr Odinga, who said that he was doing well in governing the city.
However, George Aladwa, the Makadara Member of Parliament and ODM Nairobi County branch chairperson, said that he would vie for the governor’s seat.
Mr Aladwa announced that the party will launch a number of initiatives to bolster its support in the city, including supporting its candidate in the Kariobangi North Ward by-election.
“If you want any seat in Nairobi, you must be an ODM member. Let no one think that ODM members will support them in 2027 when they are still in other parties. I have declared that I will run for the Nairobi governor seat in 2027. We will claim the seat and let’s meet in the ballot with those who are also interested in it,” Mr Aladwa said.
Following the late Prime Minister's endorsement, Mr Sakaja enjoyed the support of the ODM MCAs in the Nairobi County Assembly.
The ODM MCAs, who are the majority, said that they were doing so in respect to the decision that their late leader made.
However, Mr Odinga's death seems to have exposed Mr Sakaja, who is still being targeted by the MCAs for allegations of poor service delivery and delays in releasing bursaries.
The impeachment process against Mr Sakaja was only stopped after the intervention of President William Ruto and the late Prime Minister, who convinced the MCAs from both the ODM and UDA parties to halt it.
Aladwa’s declaration makes him the second ODM MP to declare an interest in the seat, after Embakasi East MP Babu Owino said he would be seeking to unseat Governor Sakaja.
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