MT KENYA KNOCKS ON OBURU’S DOOR

Nyandarua Senator John Methu on Friday,4 , visited Siaya Senator and ODM leader Oburu Odinga at his Nairobi residence, offering reassurance about the veteran politician’s wellbeing while also drawing fresh attention to the growing political engagement between leaders from Mt Kenya and Nyanza.

Methu was accompanied by Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa during the visit, which came amid recent public concern over Oburu’s health following his hospital visits in August.

In a message shared after the meeting, Methu said he was pleased to find Oburu in high spirits.

The visit also featured a traditional gesture of goodwill, with the Mt Kenya leaders presenting livestock to the senior politician. The gesture was seen as a symbol of friendship, respect and the longstanding tradition of using gifts to strengthen relations between communities and political leaders.

The two senators have previously used similar engagements to highlight the importance of closer relations between the Kikuyu and Luo communities. Their latest meeting with Oburu therefore comes at a time when Kenya’s political alliances are rapidly shifting ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Methu’s visit comes days after Oburu moved to reassure Kenyans over reports concerning his health.

On September 1, the ODM leader said he was well after a brief hospital visit for a general medical check-up. He also criticised the alarm surrounding his medical consultations, noting that illness is part of normal human life.

Oburu said he would personally inform the public should he ever face a serious health condition.

His clarification followed an earlier hospitalisation in August, although details of the condition that prompted the admission have not been publicly disclosed.

The veteran politician has previously received medical treatment abroad, including an operation on his knee in India in 2022.

With his latest public update indicating that he is recovering at home, Methu's visit provided another public indication that the ODM leader remains engaged despite the recent health concerns.

The timing of the meeting has inevitably given it a political dimension.
Oburu remains an influential figure in ODM and Nyanza politics, while Methu has become a prominent figure within the political camp associated with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).

The relationship between Mt Kenya and Nyanza has also taken on renewed importance as political formations position themselves for 2027.

Rather than automatically reading the meeting as an attempt to recruit Oburu into another political camp, the encounter may be better understood as part of the increasingly open political dialogue between leaders from the two regions.

The gesture of livestock, coupled with the senators' emphasis on unity between the Kikuyu and Luo communities, gave the meeting a strong message of cross-regional goodwill.

It also comes against the backdrop of major changes within Kenya's political alliances, with ODM's current relationship with President William Ruto's administration reshaping the traditional opposition-versus-government divide.

The visit also puts Methu's increasingly visible political role under the spotlight.
With Gachagua currently outside the country on an extended tour of the United States, Methu has been among the senior figures helping maintain DCP's political activities at home.

He has recently taken part in meetings aimed at strengthening the party's organisation and grassroots presence, particularly in Nairobi.

His decision to engage directly with Oburu therefore adds another layer to his emerging profile as a younger politician involved in cross-regional political conversations.

For Thang’wa, who represents Kiambu in the Senate, the visit similarly reinforces his involvement in political outreach beyond the traditional Mt Kenya sphere.

The relationship between Mt Kenya and Nyanza has historically been complicated, shaped by both cooperation and fierce political competition.

Yet Kenya's political history has repeatedly shown that alliances can change quickly, with former rivals finding common ground when political circumstances shift.

The meeting between Methu, Thang’wa and Oburu is therefore likely to attract attention beyond the immediate goodwill expressed at the Nairobi residence.

But with the 2027 political contest already taking shape, such seemingly informal meetings could become important indicators of the conversations taking place away from the larger political rallies and official party events.