- A leaked WhatsApp chat captured Lang'ata MP Jalang'o's immediate reaction after Winnie Odinga declared her bid for the Nairobi Senate seat
- Winnie made the surprise announcement at Migwena Cultural Grounds in Siaya during her late father Raila Odinga's first anniversary memorial
- The Nairobi Senate race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in 2027, with several high-profile names already in the mix
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A leaked WhatsApp chat is sending shockwaves through Kenyan political circles, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at how Lang'ata MP Felix Odiwour, popularly known as Jalang'o, responded the moment Winnie Odinga announced she was going for the Nairobi Senate seat.
Source: UGC
The screenshot, circulated by content creator MC Aol, captures the exchange in real time. MC Aol sent Jalang'o a video clip of Winnie speaking live on Citizen TV at Migwena Cultural Grounds in Bondo, Siaya County, pairing it with a Luo tease:
"Jalas Kik inyosriii," loosely meaning "Jalas, don't give in." Within a minute, at 14:51, Jalang'o fired back with just four words:
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"Very ready! To the wire!!"
Winnie's shock announcement at Raila's memorial
The clip that set things off came from Thursday, 15 October 2026, when Winnie Odinga, an East African Legislative Assembly MP, addressed thousands at her late father's first anniversary commemoration. Raila Odinga, the former prime minister, died on 15 October 2025 in Kochi, India, aged 80.
Standing at a podium bearing the graphic "RAILA'S FIRST ANNIVERSARY 1945 - 2025," Winnie wore a wide-brim hat and sunglasses as she addressed the crowd. Spotting incumbent Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna in attendance, she made her move.
"I have seen that there is a visitor here from Nairobi; his name is Sifuna," she said.
"Let it not be a rumour that as Edwin Sifuna searches for higher offices, I see there is a space. That is why I will stand for the senator of Nairobi."
She continued:
"Lakini siendi pekee yangu, I am going with young people. Are you ready to walk with me?"
Sifuna, who won the Nairobi Senate seat in 2022 with over 716,000 votes on an ODM ticket, is widely reported to be eyeing a presidential run in 2027 under the Linda Mwananchi movement.
Jalang'o had already staked his claim
The announcement landed in contested territory. As far back as February 2026, Jalang'o had publicly stated his intention to leave Lang'ata and contest the Senate seat.
"There is nothing that stops me from becoming the senator of Nairobi or even the governor. I make my decisions and I go for them... I will go for it," he said in a Radio 47 interview at the time.
Hours after the leaked chat surfaced, Jalang'o issued a formal response that mirrored his private message almost word for word.
"To the wire, I'm ready," he said in a statement carried by Uzalendo News.
The Nairobi Senate contest is now among the most watched races heading into the 2027 General Election.
Other names linked to the seat include city lawyer Danstan Omari, Wakadinali's Domani Munga, musician KRG The Don, lawyer Cecil Miller, former Makadara MP Reuben Ndolo, nominated Senator Crystal Asige, and United Opposition youth leader Ken Babu.
ODM Deputy Party Leader Simba Arati moved quickly to cool tensions, pledging:
"Sisi kama chama cha ODM, I want to promise all our followers, we will have a free and fair nomination. That includes the one for the senatorial position in Nairobi."
Source: TUKO.co.ke