Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson has explained his decision to join the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), describing the move as a natural progression of a political working relationship he has cultivated with the party over the past four years while governing Nairobi.
Sakaja said his administration had relied on cooperation with ODM despite being elected on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket. He noted that UDA has a minority representation in the Nairobi City County Assembly, while ODM commands the majority, making cross-party cooperation essential for the passage of budgets and critical legislation.
The Governor said the experience had taught him that effective leadership requires working across political divides, adding that his formal entry into ODM was a continuation of an arrangement that had already proved beneficial to Nairobi.
“People used to say that I was an ODM mole, but the reality is that I understood the importance of working with everyone for the benefit of Nairobi residents. It is the ODM leadership, through the Majority Leader, that has helped us pass our administration’s budgets and other critical legislation,” he said.
“Had I insisted on working only with UDA, we would not have achieved the cooperation necessary to pass budgets and bills. I have learned that leadership is about working with everyone, regardless of political affiliation, to deliver for the people.”
Sakaja said the political cooperation that had defined governance in Nairobi was now reflected at the national level through the broad-based government, which brings together leaders from UDA and ODM.
He maintained that his decision to join ODM had the blessing of President William Ruto, arguing that movement between the two parties was consistent with the spirit of the broad-based political arrangement.
“Now that ODM and UDA are working together under the broad-based government, with President William Ruto as the presidential candidate, there is nothing wrong with leaders moving between the parties within this arrangement.
“I have the President’s blessing. He has demonstrated his ability to work closely with ODM, and I can tell you that ODM will remain part of the broad-based government as we head towards 2027,” he said.
The Governor also recalled his past conversations with the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, saying the ODM founder had consistently expressed a strong desire to see Nairobi remain stable and continue making progress.
Sakaja said his decision to join the party was therefore not a sudden political development but the culmination of conversations and a relationship that had been built over time.
“We had many conversations with Baba, and he always expressed his desire to see Nairobi remain stable and continue moving forward. He would say that he wanted Nairobi to remain strong.
“For me, this was never a question of whether I would join ODM, but when. I also want to encourage those who may have left the party to consider coming back so that we can unite and focus on delivering the vision and legacy that Baba stood for,” he said.
The Governor also used the occasion to make a case for a second term, arguing that Nairobi needs continuity in leadership to complete ongoing projects and fully realise the promise of devolution.
He observed that the city had experienced repeated disruptions in its governance, citing the impeachment of former Governor Mike Sonko after two years in office and the subsequent intervention of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
“Nairobi has never had the opportunity to experience devolution at its best because no Governor has had the chance to serve two full terms and see through the transformation they started. This stop-start approach to governance has affected continuity in service delivery,” he said.
Sakaja argued that a second term would provide his administration with the opportunity to consolidate the gains made so far and complete projects currently in the pipeline, giving residents the benefit of sustained leadership and long-term planning.
Among the priority areas he highlighted were the expansion of the Dishi na County school feeding programme, improvement of the city’s road network and street lighting, expansion and equipping of hospitals, and the transformation of waste into valuable resources, including sports and recreational facilities.
“We want to expand programmes such as Dishi na County, improve our road network and street lighting, expand and equip our hospitals, and transform waste into valuable resources, including sports and recreational facilities.
“These are part of a wider vision to position Nairobi as a modern, functional and internationally competitive city. The work is already underway, and continuity will be critical in seeing it through,” he said.
Sakaja’s remarks place Nairobi’s development agenda and his second-term ambitions at the centre of his new political chapter in ODM, as the party positions itself within the broad-based government ahead of the 2027 General Election.
