Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has received the endorsement of the Luo Council of Elders in his quest for a second term, following a cultural ceremony in Kisumu that formally welcomed him into the Luo community.
During a meeting held on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at the home of Luo Council of Elders chairman Ker Odungi Randa in Boya, Nyando Constituency, the elders bestowed upon Sakaja the cultural name Ochieng Ondugi Randa, declaring him an adopted son of the community.
The elders, led by Ker Randa, offered their blessings and urged members of the Luo community, particularly those living in Nairobi, to support Sakaja’s re-election campaign in the August 2027 General Election.
Randa cited Sakaja’s political relationship with the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as one of the reasons the community should rally behind the Nairobi governor.
“If you loved Baba Raila, vote for Ochieng Sakaja, because Baba Raila was with him,” Randa said.
The endorsement represents a significant development in Sakaja’s political outreach as he seeks to consolidate support across Nairobi’s diverse communities ahead of the next gubernatorial contest.
Sakaja’s ODM political realignment
The Kisumu visit comes barely a week after Sakaja moved from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), a political development that has drawn attention to his plans for the 2027 elections.
Sakaja defended his decision, arguing that the move did not represent a departure from the national political arrangement, since both parties are part of the broad-based government.
“ODM and UDA are in the broad-based government. Our presidential candidate is one, William Ruto. Moving from UDA to ODM is just changing rooms in the same house,” he said.
The governor has also received blessings from ODM leader Oburu Oginga and paid a courtesy visit to Ambassador Ida Odinga, further signalling his engagement with the party’s leadership.
Political significance of the endorsement
Sakaja travelled to Kisumu following an invitation extended by the elders during the burial of the wife of former Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’.
He was accompanied by members of his County Executive Committee and several Nairobi Members of the County Assembly.
Before meeting the elders, he paid a courtesy call on Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, who described the visit as historic, noting that it was the first time a sitting Nairobi governor had made such a courtesy visit to him in Kisumu.
The elders also pledged to visit Sakaja in Nairobi in the coming days.
While the endorsement strengthens Sakaja’s engagement with Luo cultural leadership, it does not amount to a formal endorsement by every Luo voter or a guarantee of electoral support.
As the 2027 election approaches, Sakaja will face the task of translating political alliances and cultural goodwill into support from Nairobi residents, whose decisions will also be shaped by his administration’s performance, service delivery and campaign agenda.
