EALA MP Winnie Odinga /HANDOUT
Winnie Odinga is under growing pressure from her late father’s political base to step into frontline politics in 2027, with the Nairobi Senate seat emerging as a leading option.
People familiar with Sunday’s gathering at Opoda in Bondo said veterans, political allies and grassroots mobilisers used the meeting to urge Winnie to take a more active role.
The gathering did more than mark the first anniversary of the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. It was characterised by discussions about the political future of his movement and family.
According to insiders, several of those pushing Winnie to take the political plunge believe Nairobi would offer the strongest platform.
The capital was central to Raila’s national political campaigns and remains home to a sizeable constituency that identifies with his politics.
Supporters believe Winnie could appeal to the city’s younger voters while carrying the Odinga name and the political legacy built by her father over decades.
She is also not new to Raila’s political operations.
Winnie worked closely with her father during some of his toughest political campaigns.
She played a role in campaign strategy, creative work and the digital platforms used to modernise Raila's political image.
She has also maintained links with former members of the Raila Secretariat, whom she continues to support.
At Opoda, however, Winnie stopped short of declaring her political intentions.
Instead, she listened to elders, veterans and grassroots supporters before telling them that she wanted to hear more from the people before making a decision.
She stressed the importance of moving together, invoking the proverb that those who want to go fast go alone, while those who want to go far go together.
Her remarks have been interpreted by allies as an indication that any political decision will follow consultations with the wider Raila support base.
The Nairobi Senate seat is therefore emerging as a possibility, with insiders saying it would be a matter of time before Winnie makes a formal declaration.
Even so, the growing calls for Winnie to enter elective politics could place the Odinga family at the centre of the political realignment expected to shape the 2027 elections.
Raila’s death left a major political vacuum, particularly among supporters who had looked to him for direction during successive election cycles.
Winnie’s supporters believe she can help preserve elements of his political legacy while bringing a different style to a changing electorate.
Her public profile has largely been shaped by her work behind the scenes, especially in campaigns and communications.
A move into elective politics would therefore mark a major change for the youngest Odinga daughter.
At Opoda, she also sought to strike a lighter note, telling those gathered that they would, for once, hear Dholuo spoken with an English accent rather than English spoken with a Dholuo accent.
The remark drew laughter but also underlined the increasingly public role she is being encouraged to assume.
The grand question for Odinga family, therefore, is no longer simply how to preserve Raila’s legacy after his death.
It is evolving to more about who will carry that legacy into the next political contest and in what form.
Raila Junior has also been on the road to hunt for votes in Kibra, and Winnie appears to be listening too.
With pressure building from the political backyard of Bondo and Nairobi emerging as a possible battleground, her next move could become one of the more closely watched decisions ahead of the 2027 elections.
