Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi has launched a scathing attack on Raila Odinga, leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, accusing him of betrayal over the chairmanship of Nairobi ODM and the 2027 gubernatorial race in Nairobi.
In an unusually harsh critique of Raila and the senior ODM leadership, Wanyonyi claims that Raila has twice misled him about the Nairobi gubernatorial position. Frustrated by unfulfilled promises, he now feels compelled to chart an independent political course outside of the ODM party.
Wanyonyi asserts that Raila, who had initially promised him a direct ODM ticket for the 2027 elections immediately after the 2022 polls, has since shifted his support to the incumbent Nairobi Governor, Johnson Sakaja. He further alleges that significant sums of money have been exchanged at Raila’s Capitol Hill offices, influencing this decision. According to Wanyonyi, Raila’s endorsement of Sakaja is tied to his comprehensive government partnership with President William Ruto, effectively sidelining Wanyonyi from the ODM’s list of gubernatorial candidates.
With grassroots elections for Nairobi County on the horizon, Wanyonyi has officially declared his intention to contest the Nairobi ODM chairmanship, setting up a clash with incumbent George Aladwa, the Makadara MP. Wanyonyi accuses Raila of plotting to ensure Aladwa’s re-election through undemocratic means, citing Aladwa’s full support for Raila’s inclusive government arrangement.
This development has strained Wanyonyi’s political ambitions, as Raila’s backing of Sakaja directly undermines his gubernatorial bid. Political analysts regard Wanyonyi as a formidable candidate for the Nairobi ODM chairmanship, but ODM’s top leadership is believed to favour Aladwa.
Wanyonyi’s grievances trace back to 2022 when he invested heavily in his gubernatorial campaign only to be asked to step aside in favour of Polycarp Igathe. He was reportedly promised automatic candidature for ODM in 2027. Despite a coalition arrangement between ODM and the Jubilee Party, Wanyonyi was offered the position of Igathe’s running mate—a proposition he declined, opting to retain his Westlands parliamentary seat.
The unfolding feud within ODM signals deepening political fault lines in Nairobi as Wanyonyi prepares to challenge Raila’s perceived grip on the party’s Nairobi leadership.
