TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya

The battle for Lang’ata Constituency is already shaping up to be a heated affair, and it is not even campaign season yet.

Lang’ata MP Felix Odiwuor, alias Jalang’o, is under early pressure after South C MCA Abass Khalif officially declared his interest in unseating him on the ODM ticket in the upcoming elections.

Abass, a well-known businessman and long-time loyalist of ODM leader Raila Odinga, said he is ready to go all out to ensure he clinches the party’s nomination.

In an exclusive interview with , the South C ward representative, known for his fierce loyalty to the party, said he believes Jalang’o has betrayed ODM ideals and must be replaced for the good of the party.

“I will do everything within my capacity to get the ODM ticket,” said Abass, who faulted the incumbent for failing to actively support party activities and align with its leadership.

He argued that the Lang’ata seat must return to a candidate who upholds the values of the Orange party.

The contest is set to get even more competitive after Abass pulled a strong showing in the recently concluded ODM grassroots elections.

His close ally, Highrise MCA Kennedy Oyugi, emerged as the new ODM Lang’ata Constituency chairman, signalling a shifting tide in party leadership within the area.

Lang’ata Constituency has five wards: South C, Highrise, Nairobi West, Mugumoini and Karen.

All the current MCAs are ODM-affiliated, underlining the party’s strong base in the constituency. However, internal divisions now threaten to fracture that unity ahead of the next general election.

For Abass, Lang’ata carries historical weight. The constituency was once represented by Raila, and Abass insists that any MP elected on an ODM ticket must show unshakable commitment to the party and to service delivery.

“We cannot have someone whose heart and soul is elsewhere but still under our party. We must reclaim ODM’s superiority in Lang’ata and have someone who works diligently for the people and pushes the party agenda,” he told TUKO.co.ke.

He further accused the current leadership of failing to promote transparency in the use of public funds, particularly those from the National Government and Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

“Residents have been kept in the dark over how NG-CDF funds are being utilised. Transparency is lacking and that’s something we are determined to address,” he added.

In a past interview, ODM secretary-general and Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna expressed strong doubts about Jalang’o securing re-election in 2027.

He argued that Jalang’o’s political rise was largely due to the ODM party, and without its backing, his chances of winning another term were slim.

Sifuna’s remarks came shortly after Jalang’o was expelled from ODM, along with four other MPs, for holding talks with President William Ruto prior to the party's working agreement with the government.

Sifuna pointed out that it was the ODM ticket that transformed Jalang’o from a media personality into an electable politician, and without it, he would struggle to appeal to the same voter base.

Source: TUKO.co.ke