Nairobi ODM youth leaders have issued a scathing condemnation of the city’s ODM elected Members of County Assembly (MCAs), accusing them of abandoning their duties and aligning themselves with Governor Johnson Sakaja, whose leadership they describe as “clueless” and “incompetent.”
In a press statement released earlier today, the youth leaders expressed deep concern over what they see as a betrayal by the ODM MCAs. Despite ODM being a significant part of the Azimio Coalition that holds a majority in the Nairobi City Hall, the MCAs have been accused of becoming mere puppets of the executive, neglecting their primary responsibilities to their constituents.
The youth leaders did not mince words in their criticism. “Our ODM MCAs have lost their souls and forgotten the sacred responsibility that Nairobi voters have placed on their shoulders,” they stated.
The statement highlighted that the current UDA governor, Johnson Sakaja, has been widely condemned for his leadership style, even by members of his own party.
On March 19, a faction of Nairobi County leaders from UDA accused Sakaja’s administration of being the “most incompetent and morally degenerate” county government. The youth leaders emphasized that it is disgraceful for ODM MCAs to support a governor who has been criticized by his party’s officials and whose own UDA MCAs and MPs have distanced themselves from him.
The youth leaders warned that Nairobi could be facing its worst leadership crisis in history and that the actions of the ODM MCAs could tarnish the reputation of the ODM party, especially as the 2027 elections approach. “Our ODM MCAs must play their oversight roles effectively, lest the failed leadership associated with Sakaja will be linked to our beloved ODM party,” they warned.
The statement also condemned the current state of Nairobi under Sakaja’s administration, citing widespread sewerage problems, garbage accumulation in residential areas, water shortages amidst flooding, and poorly planned high-rise constructions as evidence of his failed leadership.
The youth leaders called on the ODM MCAs to “sober up and represent our party with decorum.” They urged the MCAs to resist selling their loyalty for personal gain and to focus on serving the Nairobi residents who elected them. “The incompetence of Sakaja will not be cured by receiving handouts from him,” they asserted.
The ODM youth leaders also placed the blame for the current crisis squarely on the shoulders of the UDA, stating, “UDA should take responsibility for the kind of leadership they have ensured sits at City Hall, not ODM.”
As Nairobi grapples with these leadership challenges, the call from the ODM youth leaders is clear: integrity and commitment to service must prevail over personal and political gain. The future of the city, they insist, depends on it
