ODM Nairobi chairman George Aladwa and constituency chairmen during a meeting at a Nairobi hotel on Thursday / JULIUS OTIENO
ODM has embarked on an aggressive campaign to maintain its seats, expand its influence and retain its dominance in Nairobi.
The move comes amid changing political alliances and the death of its long-time leader, Raila Odinga, which has threatened the party’s long-held grip on the capital.
On Thursday, the party leadership in Nairobi announced measures to boost its chances of retaining its influence ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Led by county chairman George Aladwa, the party announced a series of grassroots meetings aimed at activating its networks and reviving its structures.
The party plans to hold delegates’ meetings at county and constituency levels as it seeks to reconnect with its political base.
“As ODM Nairobi county, our immediate task is to build a stronger party ahead of 2027. We are determined to win as many elective seats as possible in Nairobi,” Aladwa said.
“We will strengthen our branches, activate ward structures and mobilise our supporters across the city. Our branch chairmen and grassroots officials must begin this work immediately.”
Aladwa spoke during a meeting with all the 17 constituency ODM chairmen at a Nairobi hotel.
He said Nairobi remained one of the country’s most important political battlegrounds and ODM intended to remain a dominant force in the city.
For years, Nairobi has been regarded as one of ODM’s strongest political bastions.
The city consistently delivered overwhelming presidential votes for Raila, while also electing a significant number of ODM-backed MPs, senators and MCAs.
But as alliances shift ahead of next year’s election, ODM faces one of its toughest political battles in the capital.
Raila’s death, the collapse of the Azimio coalition and the emergence of new political formations have combined to reshape Nairobi’s political equation.
ODM leaders, however, insist the party remains firmly in control.
“Nairobi is an ODM zone. We will retain our seats and win even more in 2027. We are strategising and consolidating our support base in all the 17 constituencies,” Aladwa said.
The results of the 2022 General Election illustrate ODM’s influence in Nairobi. The party won eight of the city’s 17 parliamentary seats: Westlands, Makadara, Dagoretti North, Embakasi East, Kibra, Mathare, Ruaraka and Lang’ata.
ODM also secured the Senate and Woman Representative seats, giving it 10 of the available 20 seats.
Its Azimio coalition partners added four constituencies. Jubilee won Kamukunji, Starehe and Embakasi West, while Wiper retained Embakasi South.
President William Ruto’s UDA, under the Kenya Kwanza coalition, won the governor’s seat and four constituencies: Dagoretti South, Roysambu, Embakasi North and Embakasi Central.
In the presidential contest, Raila defeated Ruto in Nairobi by 767,395 votes against 561,775
Those victories reflected more than ODM’s organisational strength. Raila’s popularity cut across political parties and ethnic communities.
He brought together Luo, Luhya, Kamba, Kisii and sections of other voting blocs under Azimio, giving the coalition a commanding advantage in the capital.
That coalition has since fractured.
ODM has effectively parted ways with former Azimio allies, including Wiper, Jubilee and DAP-Kenya, as the party builds a new political strategy.
Aladwa said ODM would remain in the broad-based government and support Ruto in next year’s presidential contest.
“As part of our commitment to the broad-based government, ODM structures in Nairobi will work to ensure President William Ruto receives a strong presidential vote in the city,” he said.
“Our strategy is to ring-fence ODM’s traditional bases, while mobilising voters to support the President in the presidential contest. We will use our grassroots networks, branch structures and ward leadership to ensure that the agreed political arrangement is translated into votes.”
