Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has said that his defection from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) was discussed with President William Ruto and the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Speaking in an interview on Ramogi TV on Tuesday, November 3 Sakaja said that the decision to join ODM with be made public was discussed long before his defection on November 2.

“The discussion of joining ODM was done with the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and President William Ruto,” Sakaja said.

This indicates that his change of party was not an abrupt decision, but one he consulted with two high profile political figures.

Sakaja said that discussions began long before Raila went to Addis Ababa to vie for the African Union Commission chairmanship in 2025. He said that Ruto had discussed with him what Raila’s intentions were and the political dynamics between the two camps.

“Even before he [Raila] went to Addis, the President told me, listen Baba is going for another seat, and we are here together,” he said.

Sakaja added that he was given instructions on how to support ODM during their internal elections in Nairobi. However, he did not go into detail.

“We had a discussion. The decision to join ODM was clear. We just had to decide on the timing of it. We have laws in this country,” he said.

His comments come just one day after he officially joined ODM at their headquarters in Chungwa House, Nairobi. He was welcomed by top officials including Deputy Party Leader Simba Arati and National Chairperson Gladys Wanga.

His decision to join ODM ends months of speculation over his intentions to leave the party which he won the Nairobi gubernatorial seat on in 2022. Sakaja said some people were shocked by the announcement as while there were indications he would be changing his political alignment, he did not know the exact date.

“A lot of people are saying they are not shocked. They are not shocked because they knew it was coming but they didn’t know when exactly,” he said.

Sakaja has said that joining ODM does not mean he has turned his back on Ruto. In an interview with Citizen Digital, he said it was part of a transition within the broad based government.

“Now we have the broad based government with ODM and UDA working together with the presidential candidate being President William Ruto, there is nothing wrong with leaders being in both parties,” he said.

He has said that working with the two parties is important with ODM having a strong influence in the County Assembly. In the past he has said that working with leaders from different parties has helped him push forward his agenda. This means he is now part of a party that is working with the national government.

Sakaja has also said that Raila encouraged him to join ODM. He said that the former Prime Minister spoke to him about joining ODM.

“Since I have officially joined, if Baba was here today, he is the one who told me to join ODM, he said we need to keep Nairobi bold and we will do everything to make sure it is in ODM,” he said.

The late opposition leader had previously encouraged ODM members to support Sakaja’s political ambitions in the capital. This shows that his decision to join ODM was not just due to the political shifts that are happening ahead of the next election. It also raises questions over how he will be nominated for the 2027 General Election.

Other politicians such as Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Makadara MP George Aladwa have been linked to ambitions for the seat.

While Sakaja is now part of the ODM structures, it does not guarantee he will be nominated as the gubernatorial candidate. He has said he is joining to help grow the party and increase their influence in Nairobi. He denied that he is trying to push out current members. As political parties and leaders start to get into position for the 2027 elections, the relationship between ODM and UDA is still a key factor.

He said that the decision was discussed long before it was made public. Ruto and Raila were involved in the discussions. While details have not been fully revealed, it gives more clarity to why he decided to leave the UDA.