ODM has faced a setback in the upcoming November 27 by-elections as its designated candidate for the Kisa East ward seat, Abraham Isaiah Ayaya, rejected the nomination and defected to the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K).

• Ayaya stated he received the ODM nomination certificate on September 1, 2025, after his name was already forwarded to DAP-K, where he is a lifelong member.
• The seat became vacant after the former MCA, Stephen Maloba, was fatally stabbed at a political event in 2023.
• Calls are mounting for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to expedite investigations into Maloba's murder, two years later.