Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu has warned that the Orange Democratic Movement’s (ODM) push for zoning in key political regions could significantly alter the party’s strategy in the 2027 General Election, saying potential friction with coalition partners, particularly the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Speaking on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, during an interview on a local TV station, Nyutu said that while party zoning aims to safeguard ODM’s traditional strongholds, it risks creating disunity within the broader coalition.

 “If there is any disunity that is going to happen, it is likely to be between UDA and ODM. As we speak, UDA insists that they will take the Deputy President’s position in that coalition, which is already a big bone of contention,” he observed.

The legislator noted that ODM’s insistence on zoning comes against the backdrop of what he described as UDA encroachment into areas historically considered ODM bastions.

 “ODM is talking about zoning, but basically, they will get their time. My concern is that in a coalition, especially in urban areas, each party fronts a candidate. This can inadvertently advantage the opponent,” Nyutu explained.

He emphasised that an arrangement among coalition partners is necessary to prevent vote splitting, citing Nairobi as a key example in which multiple coalition candidates for the gubernatorial position could undermine the overall alliance.

Nyutu suggested that the coalition might consider more formal structures, similar to the Jubilee Party model in 2017.

“Maybe the ideal position should be to dissolve the parties and form a coalition like Jubilee did, then conduct nominations for a joint ticket,” he said, adding that if a full merger is not feasible, “there should at least be some arrangement between the parties during by-elections to avoid conflicts.”

ODM’s big gamble?

The Senator’s remarks follow heightened tensions within ODM after a closed-door Parliamentary Group meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

The four-hour session brought together warring factions to address concerns that UDA members had encroached on ODM strongholds under the broad-based government arrangement.

National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed told reporters that ODM legislators are determined not to cede parliamentary influence to any partner party.

 “We want to increase our numbers in the next General Election from what we have today. We want to tell any party that we are associating with that our Parliamentary numbers are not negotiable. We can negotiate on anything but not on our Parliamentary strength,” Junet stated.

Concerns raised during the meeting included competition from multiple UDA candidates in coastal constituencies, with some legislators threatening to exit the coalition if zoning principles are ignored.

Nyutu supported these concerns, emphasising that both sides of the coalition must agree on which candidates to front in each region.

“Each side will have to decide on candidates and where they will run. This can be done through opinion polls or other mechanisms to identify the strongest candidate, regardless of party,” he said.

 Moreover, Nyutu also addressed the parallel rallies, Linda Ground and Linda Mwananchi, which he said had split supporters and added to the confusion within allied parties, stressing that careful planning and negotiation between ODM leader Oburu Oginga and President William Ruto will be critical in defining the coalition’s strategy ahead of 2027.

 “We have given our party leader the mandate to come up with the plan, and all those issues of zoning will be part and parcel of the deliberations,” Nyutu affirmed.