Who Is Simba Arati? Kisii's Governor and ODM Deputy Leader
Simba Arati (Governor, Kisii) is one of the two deputy party leaders of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). He won the governorship in 2022 after two terms as MP for Dagoretti North in Nairobi. As of 23 September 2026 he was one of the officials running ODM day to day while party leader Oburu Oginga was in the United Kingdom for a medical check-up.
He is in his first term and can defend the Kisii seat on 10 August 2027. The field lining up against him is crowded.
From Nairobi city politics to Kisii
Wikipedia records his full name as Paul Simba Arati and his birth date as 28 November 1981. His early politics were in Nairobi. He was a city councillor, and then from 2013 to 2022 the ODM MP for Dagoretti North.
In 2022 he went home to run for governor of Kisii, a county of nine constituencies stretching from Bonchari to Kitutu Chache South. He won with 270,928 votes. The man he beat into second, former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, ran for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA); two independents, Chris Obure and Manson Nyamweya, were also in the race. Arati took office on 25 August 2022.
How he became ODM deputy leader
On 9 August 2024 ODM named three deputy party leaders: Arati, Abdulswamad Nassir (Governor, Mombasa) and Godfrey Osotsi (Senator, Vihiga). The Star reported that the posts fell vacant because Hassan Joho (Governor, Mombasa) and Wycliffe Oparanya (Governor, Kakamega) had joined the Cabinet. A third slot was created partly because Gusii leaders complained that their region had missed out on Cabinet posts.
Delegates met at Jamhuri Grounds for ODM's Special Delegates Convention on 27 March 2026. They kept Arati and Nassir and dropped Osotsi, who had gone to a parallel meeting called by Edwin Sifuna (Senator, Nairobi), and ratified Oburu Oginga (Senator, Siaya) as party leader. The background is in our explainer on ODM's factions after Raila Odinga.
When Oburu wrote from the UK on 10 September 2026, he said Arati and Nassir, together with the party's Central Committee and secretariat, would oversee ODM while he was away.
Where he stands for 2027
Arati is one of the loudest voices for ODM's deal with President William Ruto. At a grassroots meeting in Kisumu on 14 September 2026, during Ruto's Nyanza tour, the Nation quoted him: "We have told Ruto that we also demand 50-50 sharing of government." He also said Nyanza should keep its ODM identity. What ODM and UDA have actually signed so far is covered in the ten-point agenda.
Two remarks from the same week drew criticism. Citizen Digital reported that on 12 September 2026 Arati said of youths hired to disrupt meetings: "These are not goons, these are people who are looking for a living." And according to People Daily, on 13 September in Kisumu he blamed voter apathy in parts of Nyanza for Raila Odinga's election losses.
The Kisii governor race
Several people have said they intend to run against him.
| Aspirant | Current or former office | What was reported |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Onyonka (Senator, Kisii) | Elected on ODM | Told a radio station in July 2025 he was running, "you can take that to the bank" (Kenyans.co.ke) |
| Ezekiel Machogu | Former Education CS, 2022 runner-up | Relaunched his bid; on 9 August 2026 praised Omingo Magara as a partner (Kahawatungu) |
| Omingo Magara (South Mugirango) | Former MP, PDP leader | Named by Onyonka as part of talks on a single opposition candidate (People Daily) |
Onyonka backs Fred Matiang'i for president, and on 22 September 2026 Matiang'i took over the leadership of the Jubilee Party from retired President Kenyatta. That gives Kisii a national edge. The contest will be read partly as a measure of Matiang'i's pull at home against ODM's alliance with Ruto.
The only published poll we found came from Swiss Poll, released on 22 April 2026: Arati 61 per cent, Machogu 17.2 per cent, Onyonka 13.4 per cent. Capital FM did not report the sample size, fieldwork dates or margin of error. Treat it as a snapshot from April.
Nomination comes first for all of them. Parties must submit their nomination rules by mid-October 2026, and primaries must end by 8 May 2027; see the full 2027 calendar. Before then, watch whether the Kisii opposition settles on one name.
Frequently Asked Questions
What party is Simba Arati in?
Simba Arati is a member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). He has been one of its deputy party leaders since August 2024, a post delegates confirmed on 27 March 2026.
Can Simba Arati run for Kisii governor again in 2027?
Yes. He was first elected governor in 2022, so 2027 would be his second and final term if he wins. A Kenyan governor may serve at most two terms.
Who is challenging Simba Arati in Kisii?
As of September 2026, Senator Richard Onyonka, former Education CS Ezekiel Machogu and former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara had all been reported as challengers, and Onyonka spoke of fielding one opposition candidate.
What did Arati mean by 50-50?
On 14 September 2026 in Kisumu, Arati said ODM had told President Ruto it wants an equal share of government in any 2027 arrangement between ODM and UDA.