Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, who also chairs the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), has sent a stern message to DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua after Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja joined the party.
Speaking while receiving Sakaja into ODM, Wanga said Gachagua and his allies should forget about taking control of Nairobi County. She dismissed claims by the former deputy president that he, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino hold the keys to Nairobi’s politics.
According to Wanga, Sakaja’s arrival settles the question of who will lead the capital after the 2027 General Election. She said the governor will be re-elected and that ODM expects to win more seats across Nairobi, including those currently held by rival parties.
Sakaja’s move follows months of public courtship. ODM leaders, including Wanga, had repeatedly urged him to leave the United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Sakaja confirmed in August that talks to join ODM were ongoing, and said the move had been simmering because of his relationship with the party’s late founder, Raila Odinga.
The exchange between ODM and the DCP has been building for some time. Gachagua had claimed that UDA was losing influence in Nairobi and that President William Ruto was losing key allies, naming Sakaja specifically. He also dismissed ODM as a shell. Wanga’s remarks appear to be a direct response to that criticism.
The defection is not without friction inside the party. Babu Owino, a longtime critic of Sakaja, has accused the governor of poor leadership and opposed ODM backing him.
Wanga previously said ODM would let all its Nairobi gubernatorial aspirants compete and choose its ticket democratically. Whether that process will now favour Sakaja remains one of the main questions in Nairobi politics.
Analysts say the capital is likely to be among the most fiercely contested counties in 2027. Its large, politically diverse electorate has made it a prize for every major camp, and each side is trying to show it has momentum.
For ODM, Sakaja brings the advantage of incumbency and control of City Hall. For Gachagua’s DCP and its allies in the opposition, the defection raises the stakes and sharpens the rivalry.
With elections still ahead, both camps are expected to step up mobilisation in Nairobi’s estates and wards in the coming months. Whether Wanga’s confident prediction holds will depend on how voters judge the county’s performance and how well the parties manage their internal differences.
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