Outspoken Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai has sharply criticized the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) for what he terms as the promotion of political dynasties in the ongoing party polls in Kasipul.
Taking to his official X account on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, Alai warned that the growing trend of political parties fronting family members to replace their kin in leadership positions is undermining Kenya’s democracy and eroding the credibility of political institutions.
“As ODM members participate in the party polls in Kasipul, I must strongly oppose the growing trend in Kenya of political parties endorsing family members to inherit leadership seats whenever a vacancy arises. This practice is eroding the very soul of our democracy. We are creating a culture where leadership is reduced to bloodlines and entitlement rather than service, merit, and the will of the people. When Kenyans start believing that only certain families are “destined” to lead, we damage the national psyche, kill ambition among the youth, and entrench dynasties instead of democracy,” Alai warned.
Dangerous political pattern
The ODM legislator noted that the practice, witnessed in Kasipul and other parts of the country, is becoming a dangerous pattern that could weaken faith in political parties as vehicles of fairness, inclusivity, and ideas.
Alai cited recent cases in constituencies such as Malava, Bobasi, Kibwezi West, Kanduyi, and Matungu, where family members were quickly endorsed to succeed their relatives. According to him, this has created the impression that leadership in Kenya is reserved for a few families, sidelining ordinary citizens with vision and competence.
“We exacerbate the anger and bitterness of a generation when we allow such behavior. We have seen it recently in Kasipul, where a family member was quickly fronted to replace their kin. In Malava, the same story. The same has happened in Bobasi, Kibwezi West, Kanduyi, and Matungu in the recent past. These are not isolated cases; they form a dangerous pattern. Who will have faith in political parties as institutions of ideas, fairness, and inclusivity? This practice makes political parties in Kenya vehicles of entitlement and private inheritance. Our democracy cannot grow if parties behave like family fiefdoms,” he stated.
Alai, a first-term MCA known for his bold views, urged ODM to lead by example in strengthening internal democracy, warning that any party that turns into a family fiefdom risks losing public trust.
“We must say no. Leadership should be about vision, competence, and commitment to service, not about who you are related to. Kenya’s democracy deserves better,” Alai stated.
