Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku has moved to establish a new political base outside ODM after taking leadership of the Forum for Economic Development Agenda (FEDA), a move that comes amid an increasingly bitter disagreement with the party over its political direction in Kajiado County.
Lenku was installed as FEDA's party leader on Friday, November 6, 2026, during an event held at Ufangamano House in Nairobi, attended by political aspirants, party officials and supporters from various parts of the country.
The launch marks a new phase in the governor's political journey as his differences with the Orange Democratic Movement continue to widen. Lenku had previously threatened to mobilise Maa leaders to abandon ODM, citing dissatisfaction with the party's leadership and its political arrangements in Kajiado.
At the launch, speakers portrayed FEDA as an alternative political platform for communities they consider marginalised, arguing that political exclusion cuts across ethnic boundaries. They also appealed to young people to associate with the new party and participate in its activities.
One of the leaders present said the party intended to represent people who felt sidelined regardless of their ethnic backgrounds.
“It’s the party for the marginalised. Because you can be marginalised as a Kikuyu. You can be marginalised as a Luo, a Kalenjin or a Luhya,” one leader said.
Despite its official unveiling on Friday, FEDA had been registered months earlier. Records from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties indicate that the outfit received its registration certificate on August 14, 2026, under serial number 110.
The party's registered headquarters are located at FEDA House No. 75, Mbagathi Ridge, off Bogani Road, Karen, Nairobi. It has adopted the slogan “Build Economy, Better Life”.
Lenku's latest political move follows a public exchange with ODM officials over his criticism of the party's leadership and its approach to political arrangements in Kajiado County.
The governor had threatened to spearhead a mass departure of Maa leaders from ODM, prompting a sharp response from the party's Secretary General, Catherine Omanyo.
Omanyo challenged Lenku to leave the party if he no longer agreed with its leadership, accusing him of turning against an organisation that had supported his political ambitions.
She pointed out that Lenku had received ODM's gubernatorial ticket without facing a competitive nomination process, questioning why he was now openly criticising the party that had given him the opportunity to contest for the Kajiado governorship.
"If he wants to leave, let him go alone and sink on his own. Let him not drag the rest of the Maasai community down with him," Omanyo said.
The political confrontation comes as Lenku approaches the end of his second and final term as Kajiado Governor, ruling out another bid for the county's top seat in 2027.
He has previously indicated that he could shift his ambitions to the Kajiado Senate seat in the next General Election, placing his political future among the issues likely to shape the county's contest.
With FEDA now formally launched and Lenku at its helm, the governor has taken a fresh political position at a time when his relationship with ODM remains strained and the 2027 elections draw closer.