By Steve Kweyu
The dust is yet to settle in Dagoretti North following the hotly contested ODM grassroots elections, but Nairobi County Majority Whip and Kilimani Ward MCA Hon. Moses Ogeto is standing tall, insisting he clinched the chairmanship fairly and squarely.
Ogeto, who has been the acting ODM branch chairman since the exit of Kisii Governor Hon. Simba Arati, faced off with Dagoretti North MP Hon. Beatrice Elachi in a duel that has once again exposed simmering divisions in the Orange party’s city politics.
In a strongly worded statement, Ogeto poured cold water on attempts to nullify his win through petitions filed by Elachi’s camp, declaring that the grassroots polls were transparent and the outcome “undisputable.”
“Delegates from across Dagoretti North spoke loudly and entrusted me with the responsibility of steering this party forward. Under my stewardship, we retained the MP’s seat and secured four out of five MCA slots. This confidence from the delegates is proof enough that I am the right person to keep ODM strong in this constituency,” Ogeto said.
He accused his rivals of wasting precious time in legal battles instead of building the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
“ODM turns 20 this year. Instead of dragging each other to courtrooms, we should be consolidating our grassroots and preparing to make ODM the party of choice in Dagoretti North and beyond,” he added.
The Elachi Factor
The Dagoretti North MP, together with a section of disgruntled officials, has moved to challenge Ogeto’s election at the tribunal. This is not her first attempt to overturn grassroots outcomes; she previously sought to nullify results in Kileleshwa Ward but lost.
Interestingly, despite Ogeto’s win, all four elected ODM MCAs in Dagoretti North—Robert Alai (Kileleshwa), Swaka (Gatina), Munga (Kabiro), and another ward rep—were firmly in Elachi’s corner.
Ogeto, however, leaned on the backing of Dagoretti North ODM SG Sammy Nyaranga, former MCA David Ayoi, and nominated MCA Perpertua Okello, who is already eyeing the Kileleshwa seat in 2027.
ODM@20 Mobilisation
Even as the petitions drag on, Ogeto appears undeterred. Yesterday, he joined 17 other ODM constituency chairmen in Nairobi for a planning meeting led by County ODM boss Hon. George Aladwa, where preparations for the upcoming ODM@20 celebrations topped the agenda.
To demonstrate his commitment, Ogeto has already secured five buses to ferry party supporters from Dagoretti North to Mombasa for the grand anniversary at the Coast.
Grassroots Voices
From the ground, ODM supporters appear eager to move on. Ebrahim Shisia, a party delegate from Kileleshwa, told Good Morning Kenya that petitions are a distraction:
“We had one of the most peaceful ODM elections in years—no chaos, no teargas. For once, delegates exercised their will without intimidation. The question is: when do we stop fighting and start revamping our party ahead of 2027?”
What Next for Ogeto?
The third-term Kilimani MCA, a long-time ally of the Odinga family, has steadily grown into a key ODM power broker in Nairobi. His rise from University of Nairobi student politics to becoming Majority Whip in the County Assembly has not gone unnoticed, with whispers in political corridors suggesting he may have bigger ambitions in 2027.
For now, Ogeto insists his priority is uniting ODM in Dagoretti North. His camp exudes confidence that the petition against him will collapse, whether in the tribunal or higher courts.
As the ODM family marks two decades of existence, Dagoretti North may well become the testing ground for how the party balances internal democracy with unity ahead of the next general election.
Stay with Good Morning Kenya for rolling updates on this story.
