The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is putting in overtime efforts to maintain its dominance in Nairobi’s political landscape.
Recently, the party concluded its grassroots elections, with most constituencies opting for consensus to prevent potential divisions and defections.
In Lang’ata, a heated contest is unfolding between businessman Johnson Oduk Oginga and Highrise MCA Kennedy Oyugi, both vying for the chairperson position.
Lang’ata is regarded as one of ODM’s strongest bases in Nairobi, largely due to its historical ties to the party’s de facto leader, Raila Odinga, who represented the constituency in Parliament for two decades.
The constituency was split following a boundary review, leading to the creation of Kibra constituency, where Odinga’s polling station is located.
In 2017, ODM lost control of Lang’ata when Nickson Korir of the Jubilee Party defeated ODM’s Oscar Omoke.
Johnson Oduk, a businessman and long-time Lang’ata resident, believes the party has the potential to secure every seat in the constituency and a significant majority in Nairobi if it conducts transparent and democratic grassroots elections and candidate nominations.
Confident of his candidacy for ODM chairperson in Lang’ata, Oduk claims that certain individuals within the party are actively working to undermine its success. He questions why Lang’ata consistently falls behind in decision-making while other constituencies seem to push the party agenda forward without issues.
Lang’ata in Nairobi.
“Lang’ata must lead the way in grassroots elections and party primaries, as this is where our party leader’s political journey began,” he emphasized.
In the race for the constituency chairperson seat, Oduk asserts that some elected MCAs are undermining the process behind the scenes. “Elected leaders must understand that in grassroots elections, all leaders—elected and non-elected—should remain neutral to ensure transparency and fairness,” he added.
Oduk further believes that with proper organization, ODM could secure more than 100 seats in the National Assembly.
The party has announced that the overall grassroots election was a success, though incidents of violence and disruption were reported in a few polling stations.
ODM officials have vowed to investigate these disruptions and take appropriate action against those responsible, regardless of their standing within the party or broader society.
