ODM Welcomes Two Former UDA Members Ahead of 2027 Election

On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Chairperson Gladys Wanga formally received Gideon Mayian Saruni and Francis Ole Meja into the party during a ceremony held at Chungwa House.

Both men left the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and intend to run on the ODM ticket, with Saruni aiming for the Kajiado West parliamentary seat and Meja targeting the Mosiro MCA position in Kajiado West Constituency in the general election scheduled for August 10, 2027.

Wanga praised the additions, stating, “We are happy when our house continues to grow bigger and bigger.”

The event was attended by Kajiado Deputy Governor Martin Moshisho, ODM Youth League President John Ketora, ODM Executive Director Philip Etale Ongwen (also reported as Oduor Ong'wen), and a delegation representing Kajiado County.

Saruni and Meja will now need to secure ODM nominations before launching full campaigns for the 2027 polls.

Their defections occur amid an ongoing zoning dispute between ODM and UDA, where ODM has advocated for a pre-election arrangement to avoid fielding candidates against each other in designated strongholds, while UDA has opposed such a proposal; President William Ruto has suggested the parties could engage in “friendly fire” while remaining political partners.

The ODM intake follows a previous defection on September 29, when former Embakasi West MP George Theuri joined the party, was received by ODM Secretary General Catherine Omanyo, and was welcomed into the “Chungwa Movement”; Theuri was elected in 2013 on a The National Alliance Party ticket, re-elected in 2017 on a Jubilee Party ticket, and contested the 2022 election on a UDA ticket.