NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 7 — Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi has resigned from the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ahead of his planned move to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Havi’s exit, formalized in a letter dated November 7, was acknowledged and stamped by UDA headquarters, making it legally effective immediately under Section 14 of the Political Parties Act.
The law stipulates that a member’s resignation takes effect upon the political party’s receipt of written notice, and the Registrar of Political Parties must be notified within seven days to remove the member from the party’s register.
The outspoken lawyer, who unsuccessfully contested the Westlands seat on a UDA ticket in 2022, said his decision was driven by public demand.
The move comes ahead of the anticipated exit of incumbent MP Tim Wanyonyi to contest the Bungoma gubernatorial seat in 2027.
“I have listened to the People of Westlands. The unanimity of their views is that I can serve them in the National Assembly following the decision by Tim Wanyonyi to run for Governor of Bungoma County,” Havi said.
“The People of Westlands have, however, put only one condition to me. They have asked that I resign from UDA and join ODM. I have been in ODM before. My departure was necessitated by the need then to challenge the dismemberment of the Constitution through the BBI initiative. I am more than happy to accede to the demands of the People of Westlands, as the People are the sovereign.”
ODM return
Wanyonyi, who has held the Westlands MP seat since 2013, has already announced his bid to succeed Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka, creating one of Nairobi’s most closely watched political vacancies.
Havi’s defection from President William Ruto-led UDA to ODM sets the stage for a high-stakes showdown in the cosmopolitan constituency, traditionally an ODM stronghold.
The lawyer’s return to ODM marks a full political circle: he was previously a party member before quitting in 2021 to oppose the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), a constitutional reform drive championed by then Party Leader Raila Odinga and former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Havi’s defection from the President William Ruto–led UDA to ODM sets the stage for a high-stakes showdown in the cosmopolitan constituency, long considered an ODM stronghold that blends middle-class voters, professionals, and informal settlement communities — a complex electoral mix that has made it a political bellwether in Nairobi.
