Former personal assistant to Raila Odinga, Silas Jakakimba, has called on leaders within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to retain some of the veteran aides who served the longtime opposition figure following reports that dozens of staff at the Capitol Hill offices have been sent home.
The Capitol Hill offices in Nairobi have for years served as the political nerve centre of Odinga’s operations, hosting a team of administrative and political aides who coordinated his engagements, communications and strategic outreach.
In a public statement, Jakakimba reflected on his nearly two decades working closely with Odinga, saying he served the former prime minister “publicly, loyally and formally” until March 17, 2023.
Even after stepping away from the role, he said he maintained contact with Odinga while continuing to assist with responsibilities tied to his former assignment.
Jakakimba described the inner workings of Odinga’s political secretariat, noting that a small circle of trusted senior aides handled the most sensitive duties around the veteran politician.
“Seeing the nature of my assignment, roles and back-end responsibilities, it was obvious that at the level of TPM’s – the innermost circle – we had to find a way to work together to support Jakom’s mainstay and ground both his legacy and national and global standing,” he said.
According to Jakakimba, the core team usually comprised between five and seven senior aides who simultaneously managed strategic roles in the office. The group coordinated key political engagements, advisory work and organisational activities linked to Odinga’s leadership.
His remarks come amid reports that a significant number of staff who worked at the Capitol Hill compound have recently been relieved of their duties as part of a restructuring affecting the former prime minister’s political secretariat.
The reported changes have raised concerns among some ODM insiders and observers about the preservation of institutional knowledge built around Odinga’s decades-long political career.
Jakakimba said he had come across “breaking news purporting that Mr Odinga’s former aides at Capitol Hill Square have been thanked for their services,” acknowledging that such decisions may be part of broader organisational changes.
However, he urged ODM leadership to consider retaining some of the experienced aides who worked closely with Odinga for many years.
“To help preserve the structure, temporal institutional and ideological memory plus the holistic legacy transition in honour of Jakom, the current captains of the Orange formation, in liaison with those at Odinga’s private offices, must of necessity reach back and retain some of those close aides,” he said.
He argued that long-serving aides possess deep knowledge of governance advisory work, political networks and strategic operations that could be useful during the ongoing leadership transition within the party.
Jakakimba maintained that such experience represents an important resource for ODM as it navigates its future while safeguarding the political legacy of Odinga, one of Kenya’s most influential opposition figures.
The developments surrounding the Capitol Hill staff changes have continued to attract attention within political circles, particularly as ODM reorganises its internal structures and prepares for the next phase of leadership and party operations.