Arati: Give ODM the Deputy President’s Seat

By Evans Mutinda

ODM has fired an early political salvo ahead of the 2027 General Election, with Deputy Party Leader and Kisii Governor Simba Arati demanding a bigger share of government and floating a possible ODM-UDA power-sharing deal that could see the opposition party claim the Deputy President’s position.

Speaking at ODM party headquarters in Nairobi on Tuesday, Mr Arati said the party must negotiate from a position of strength if its cooperation with President William Ruto’s UDA continues into the next election.
“If UDA has the President, ODM gets the Deputy President. That is the power we are talking about,” Mr Arati said.

The remarks inject fresh political calculations into the emerging 2027 alliances, with ODM signalling that any continued cooperation with UDA must translate into concrete political power and representation.
Mr Arati said ODM would not be content with symbolic participation in government, arguing that communities supporting the party must receive a fair share of leadership and development opportunities.
“We want a government where everybody gets their share,” he said.

*Maa vote targeted*

The Kisii governor also intensified ODM’s courtship of the Maa community and other groups he described as historically marginalised, declaring the party their political home.
“We are telling the Maa community and all other communities that have been marginalised for years that our home is the broad-based government and ODM,” he said.

Mr Arati specifically rallied behind Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina, saying ODM must build a formidable political team in Narok ahead of the 2027 polls.
He said the party would field candidates for every elective position, from governor and senator to MP and MCA.
“We must have a governor candidate, a senator, an MCA candidate and a parliamentary candidate. Every constituency must have a candidate so that we deliver,” he said.

The remarks point to an aggressive ODM strategy to expand beyond its traditional political strongholds and establish a wider electoral footprint ahead of the 2027 contest.

*’No nominations without seats’*

Mr Arati also delivered a warning over coalition negotiations and party nominations, saying ODM must secure actual political seats wherever it seeks to field candidates.
“There should be no nomination without a seat. If you bring MPs, we must have nominated MPs. If you bring MCAs, we must have nominated MCAs,” he said.
The statement is likely to sharpen discussions within the emerging political alliances over the division of elective positions, nominations and government appointments.

Mr Arati said ODM had demonstrated that it was a national party, with a presence in Western Kenya, the Coast, northern Kenya and the Rift Valley.
He challenged politicians claiming national leadership credentials to demonstrate their reach by travelling to communities across the country instead of summoning supporters to their political bases.
“Leadership is about going to the people. If you are a national leader sitting in Nairobi, go and visit people where they live and see their conditions,” he said.

*ODM sets sights on 2027*

The governor accused unnamed politicians of exploiting poor Kenyans through political rallies while advancing what he described as tribal politics.
“We cannot stay with people who propagate tribalism. We cannot stay with people who discriminate against certain communities and accept others,” he said.

He urged ODM members to remain united as the party intensifies its grassroots mobilisation, saying the ultimate objective was to capture State power in 2027.
Mr Arati also said ODM would continue condemning political violence and killings regardless of the administration under which they occurred.
“We condemn all the killings from previous governments as well. We cannot just pick and choose,” he said.

With the 2027 contest increasingly shaping political alignments, Mr Arati’s declaration puts power-sharing, regional representation and ODM’s bargaining position at the centre of the party’s emerging campaign message.
“ODM will take power. And when we get that power, we will share it fairly and deliver for our people,” he said.