Oburu reveals joint ODM, UDA manifesto in the works

The scramble for positions has itself become a political battleground, with key players angling for influence in what is widely seen as a gateway to future state power.

While he did not reveal their names, ODM Party Leader Dr Oburu Oginga said both parties have selected five members each to serve on the technical team that will spearhead the negotiations.

“Ruto and I have formed a technical team of five members each from both our parties to steer the talks. The team has already commenced work on a joint manifesto, which will combine the policies of both ODM and UDA and will be ready before the end of this year,” said Dr Oginga.

He was speaking on Friday in Ugunja, Siaya County, during the burial of Daniel Oluoch Wandayi, brother of Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi.

In January this year, ODM and President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance signalled a political convergence, agreeing to establish a joint negotiating team to hammer out a coalition framework as they edge closer to the 2027 polls.

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President Ruto, during the presentation of the 10-point agenda report, pushed for the formation of an eight-member structure to steer the talks, an early blueprint for what was expected to become a formal negotiation process between the two political formations.

Dr Oginga stated that his brother died after negotiating for the party to join the broad-based government, where ODM was allocated critical Cabinet positions, including the National Treasury, which, according to him, had never happened for the Nyanza region since independence.

He maintained that while the death of Raila Odinga had left a vacancy in the ODM Party and big shoes to fill, he had developed his own formula and was wearing fitting shoes to steer the Orange party.

According to Dr Oginga, the aim of every party is to capture political power, adding that now that ODM has one leg in government, it can only continue working with its partners with the aim of formally forming a government after the 2027 General Election.

“Article Seven of the ODM Constitution says that our first objective is to obtain political power. Now that we are in power, even though we joined ‘through the window’, and we are talking with President Ruto face to face, we are planning to obtain power through the main door so that we have an even greater voice within government,” said Dr Oginga.

He challenged the united opposition to prepare for a major battle for elective seats in 2027, warning politicians against polarising the country ahead of the polls.

“When you see Gachagua, he is always in a fighting mood as if something has gone wrong. He has won elections and should be celebrating, not complaining, because the IEBC has proven that it can conduct elections with some level of independence and impartiality,” said Dr Oginga.

Also Read: Sifuna gets the nod from Luhya leaders to face Ruto in 2027

Leaders who attended the funeral maintained that nobody would derail ODM from the path it had chosen of working with President William Ruto.

They included National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, Mr Wandayi, ODM Chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed and a host of legislators.

Mr Wandayi said Nyanza has a clear vision of the path the community is taking ahead of 2027.

“Raila left us and now we are under the leadership of Dr Oburu and President William Ruto. We are going to continue on the path Raila showed us before he died, which is to work with and vote for Ruto for a second term and pave the way for us in the future,” said Mr Wandayi.

His National Treasury counterpart, Mr Mbadi, said the Luo community has no choice but to work with President Ruto, arguing that they were not destined to remain in the opposition forever.

“There is nowhere in the ODM Constitution where we have spelt out that one of our objectives is to keep the government in check. If there is, let someone point it out. There are people who want to mislead others by claiming it is our duty as ODM or as a community to keep governments in check. Meanwhile, other people are moving ahead in terms of development,” said Mr Mbadi.

Also Read: Inside ODM’s plan to revive grassroots networks ahead of polls

He said the community must safeguard its interests and prepare to field one of its own for the presidency in 2032.

He added that the presidency is not the preserve of specific communities, dismissing the narrative that one region alone has the votes to determine who becomes president.

He, however, called for unity within the Luo community under Dr Oginga's leadership.

Ms Wanga said ODM would no longer gamble with the future of the community, saying Raila Odinga had left the party on a clear path of working with President Ruto.

“We want to follow a path to power, not for individuals but for the prosperity of the entire country. The other day I heard Rigathi Gachagua say the point at which he left the government was when Ruto started speaking to Raila. We are now even more convinced to continue supporting Ruto now and in the future,” said Ms Wanga.

The leaders asked Mr Gachagua to accept the 2027 election results when they are announced, just as he did after the Ol Kalou by-election.

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