East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Winnie Odinga has announced that she will run for the Nairobi senatorial seat in the 2027 General Election, adding a new name to an increasingly crowded contest in the capital.
She made the announcement on Thursday, October 15, as supporters marked the first anniversary of the death of her father, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
I have decided that I will stand for the senator of Nairobi county.
Winnie Odinga, EALA MP
The seat is currently held by Edwin Sifuna, who is widely expected to pursue a higher office. Ms Odinga referred to that ambition directly, saying she saw an opening as the incumbent looks beyond the Senate.
A youth-focused pitch
Speaking partly in Kiswahili, she said she would not be running alone and urged young people to seek elective office at every level, from Member of County Assembly to governor. She framed her campaign around what she described as her father’s “Kenyan dream” of equal opportunity, arguing that many citizens feel their hard work has not translated into a better life.
She did not say on which party ticket she would contest. Her entry comes as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) debates its direction a year after Raila Odinga’s death, and after Raila Odinga Junior was reported to have backed Lang’ata MP Phelix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang’o, for the same seat.
What comes next
Parties are working through the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s timetable for the 2027 polls, which requires certified nomination rules to be lodged with the commission by November 6. Party primaries are expected to determine whether the Nairobi race narrows before the election.
