Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has officially ditched President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Sakaja was formally received into ODM on Monday, November 2, 2026, at the party’s headquarters, Chungwa House, Nairobi, by senior party officials, including Deputy Party Leader and Kisii Governor Simba Arati.
The governor’s move marks a major political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections, with Sakaja now expected to defend his Nairobi gubernatorial seat on the ODM ticket.
His defection comes after weeks of speculation about his political future, particularly following his appearance at the ODM memorial rally held at Jacaranda Grounds on Saturday, October 31.
During the rally, Sakaja openly expressed his admiration for ODM’s influence in Nairobi, declaring, “The party that governs Nairobi is ODM.”
He also asked Nairobi residents to guide him on the political party he should join ahead of the next General Election, with sections of the crowd urging him to move to ODM.
The governor’s latest move places him within the broad-based government political arrangement, which brings together leaders from ODM and UDA despite their different party affiliations.
