Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has confirmed that he is under growing pressure from Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) officials and supporters to ditch the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and join the opposition party ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Sakaja, however, stopped short of announcing a political defection, saying he is still consulting and weighing his options before making a final decision on the party he will use to defend his Nairobi seat.
Speaking during an interview with Radio Citizen on Wednesday, August 26, the governor acknowledged that he had held discussions with various groups linked to ODM, including youth, women leaders and Members of Parliament.
“There has been that call. Some officials and party members have said that they want me to move to their party. I have had meetings with the youths who met the other day; women leaders and MPs were also present; you can’t ignore that,” Sakaja said.
The governor said he was taking the calls seriously but maintained that there was no official date for his departure from UDA.
“There is no official date for when we will leave UDA, but the call is there. It is something I am observing, we must also look at what people are saying. If that’s what they want then I am their employee,” he said.
Sakaja linked the renewed speculation over his possible move to ODM to his close relationship with the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who died in October 2025.
The governor described Raila as a father figure and said the former ODM leader had also wanted him to join the party before his death.
“In October, we will be marking one year since Raila left us and we were very close, he was like my father, and he also wanted that (to join). We were in touch a lot before his death,” Sakaja said.
The remarks come amid intensified political realignments in Nairobi ahead of the 2027 elections, with ODM leaders openly courting the governor.
In July, ODM Director of Elections and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed told Sakaja to join the party if he wanted its backing for a second term, arguing that ODM remained a dominant political force in Nairobi.
Sakaja was elected governor in 2022 on a UDA ticket and has since worked closely with President William Ruto’s administration. He has also repeatedly expressed his intention to defend his seat in 2027.
The governor said political decisions must also take into account continuity in governance, arguing that frequent political transitions can disrupt development programmes.
His latest remarks came a day after former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua claimed Sakaja was considering moving to ODM, saying the ruling UDA was losing key political figures.
For now, Sakaja remains a UDA member, leaving his next political move as one of the key questions likely to shape the battle for Nairobi ahead of the 2027 polls.
