Sakaja: Political transfer season starts in November

Nairobi Governor Sakaja before the Senate Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources at Bunge Towers, Nairobi, April 23, 2026. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has dismissed the current transfers and defections happening in the political space as premature.

Speaking after attending a church service at St. Austin’s Church, Westlands, Sakaja said that transfer activity was yet to peak.

“Our political cycles in this country, if you have observed many elections, things change months to the election. The movements you will see from November to February, you have not seen anything; wait for the transfer window to be opened.” Sakaja said.

He said that the movement which will be witnessed from November will be similar to the Wildebeest migration at Maasai Mara or the football transfer window.

“I have seen several elections; I have been a chairman of a party, an MP, a Senator, a Governor and so there’s nothing that surprises me. The art of timing is everything.” Sakaja added.

According to Sakaja, the movements currently happening are opportunistic and therefore very dangerous for political players.

He cautioned leaders to plan their movements carefully. Using himself as an example, he said that he had delayed announcing the party he would run on in 2022.

"In February 2022, I was not in UDA; I was still in Jubilee and people thought that I was with Mudavadi," he said.

On 5th July, National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed had told Sakaja to move to the Orange Democratic Movement ODM if he wanted to get re-elected.

“If Sakaja still wants to be re-elected as Nairobi governor, he should come to ODM. If he remains where he is, he will wait until Jesus returns. Nobody will elect him.” Junet said at an empowerment event in Kileleshwa.

In the recent past, Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata became the latest person to defect from the ruling United Democratic Alliance party UDA, moving to Democracy for the Citizens Party on Friday.

Sakaja also noted that the Sifuna-led Linda Mwananchi team was yet to tour Nairobi for a rally. He, however, called for tolerance and political maturity from leaders across the divide to allow everyone to sell their agenda.