ODM announces it will field candidates in all 22 upcoming by-elections

Members of the ODM Central Committee, led by Party Leader Raila Odinga, during a meeting in Nairobi on July 29, 2025. (Photo: ODM)

By Barack Oduor
Tuesday, July 29, 2025

The by-elections will include six National Assembly seats, one Senate position and 15 Member of County Assembly (MCA) slots.

The Orange Democratic Movement Party has announced it will field candidates in all the vacant electoral positions to be filled through by-elections that will be conducted by the Independent Electoral Commission.

ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga led the outfit's Central Committee meeting on Tuesday in deciding to field candidates in the impending mini polls, where parties and top politicians expect to flex their might ahead of the 2027 General Election.

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The Orange party follows other political formations in announcing their intention to participate in the mini-polls after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), now fully constituted, announced its preparedness to conduct 22 long-delayed by-elections.

These include six National Assembly seats, one Senate position and 15 Member of County Assembly (MCA) slots. The delays were attributed to the previous lack of quorum at the IEBC following the expiry of several commissioners' terms.

Through the ODM Party Secretary General, the party announced that they have been furnished with a schedule of the positions remaining vacant and the need for their party to gear up in filling such positions.

"We have been presented with a schedule of all upcoming by-elections, and this committee resolves that ODM will fully participate in all those by-elections by filling candidates," said Sifuna.

The party also announced plans to go ahead with the grassroots elections and programme for celebrating its 20th anniversary as part of its process of regeneration, reorganisation and internal strengthening.

The resolution at a meeting Raila called to quell public and internal disagreement among top party officials over a stance taken by Sifuna on their cooperation with President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance Party.

For the upcoming by-elections whose dates have not been announced, aspirants have hit the campaign trail and are busy engaging voters to support them.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua-led Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) has already presented two candidates, Aden Mohamed for Banisa Constituency and Edgar Busiega for Malava Constituency, during an event at its headquarters in Nairobi.

"These are young people. DCP is a party that believes in nurturing young leadership, and the party leader and the NEC have committed to setting aside resources to ensure that DCP wins more than 50 per cent of the available by-election seats," DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala said during their unveiling.

The Banisa and Malava by-elections were triggered by the deaths of Banisa MP Kulow Maalim Hassan in March 2023 and Malava MP Moses Injendi earlier this year.

Ruto's party, UDA, on the other hand, is trying to capture the seats through organising consensus retreats of top aspirants.

Last weekend, top UDA officials, led by party chair Cecily Mbarire and Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku, held a closed-door retreat in Naivasha to ease tensions and lay the groundwork for a peaceful, fair nomination process.

Nine out of the 12 candidates eyeing the Mbeere North parliamentary seat are seeking the UDA ticket, setting the stage for a high-stakes nomination race that could shape the party's political influence in Embu County.