President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that they said will ease political tensions, foster national unity, and address Kenya’s most pressing social and economic challenges.
At the heart of it, is a 10-point MoU, in which they vowed to implement the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco) report — which among other things called for the formation of the Prime Minister’s post, as well as to curb opulence in government and public office — stop abductions and intensify fight against graft.
Ruto and Raila sign political cooperation deal
The agreement, signed on March 7, 2025 at the Kenyatta International Convection Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, is between President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Mr Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
In the agreement, the two leaders also committed to tackle the high cost of living, and youth unemployment.
“We recognise that this moment is unlike any other. It is not enough to merely identify systemic and structural obstacles that have denied generations a fair chance to achieve their aspirations. More importantly, we must rise above political differences and embrace a higher vision of the Kenya We All Deserve,” President Ruto stated.
“We share a common goal, to build a united, secure, and prosperous Kenya, under a government that is capable, committed, and willing to ensure a balance and opportunity for all without exception. This realisation has enabled Kenya’s largest political movements to engage constructively, recognizing a unique opportunity before us,” he said.
President Ruto took a swipe that was seen to be aimed at his biggest critics — his impeached deputy Rigathi Gachagua , Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka , People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua , DAP-Kenya chief Eugene Wamalwa, among others — whom he said were driving a divisive agenda.
The Head of State said that merely identifying systemic and structural obstacles is not enough and called for leaders to rise above political differences to build a better Kenya.
“It is not enough to merely identify systemic and structural obstacles that have denied generations a fair chance to achieve their aspirations. More importantly, we must rise above political differences and embrace a higher vision of the Kenya we all deserve. Understanding, therefore, that jobs, wealth, enterprise opportunities, and social services must be provided within an environment that is free, open, democratic, and competitive,” President Ruto said.
The President outlined key commitments under the agreement, including lowering the cost of living, creating job opportunities for the youth, ensuring gender inclusion, and fostering an environment of open and democratic governance. He also pledged to fight corruption, uphold the rule of law, and reduce the national debt burden through responsible resource management.
The two leaders will also address promotion and protection of youths' lives by empowering sectors such as technology, blue economy, manufacturing and mining to create employment opportunities.
“Our collective goal is to adjust equitable and prosperous Kenya for all of us. We move forward with a shared commitment that is not only doing the right thing for our nation, but also to ensure they are done right. We, the leaders of UDA, Kenya Kwanza, and ODM, commit to it. We will raise and manage national resources, differences and embrace a higher vision of the Kenya we all deserve,” President Ruto added.
President William Ruto (left) with ODM party leader Raila Odinga during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ODM and UDA at Kenyatta International Convention Center in Nairobi on March 07, 2025.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
Mr Odinga, on his part, emphasised that the primary objective of the agreement is to reconcile the population and address Kenya’s pressing socio-economic and political issues.
One of the key priorities highlighted in the MoU is tackling youth unemployment. Mr Odinga noted that joblessness has left many young people disillusioned and vulnerable to political exploitation.
“The cardinal goal of the MoU is to help ease the prevailing tensions in the country, reconcile the population, alleviate their suffering and move the country forward by addressing the critical social, political and economic issues our people are grappling with,” said Mr Odinga.
The agreement, he said, was timely and important.
“As leaders of the largest political parties in the country, we arrived at the understanding that in a time of significant challenges to our nation, it is not enough to merely grandstand or stand aside and criticize, easy as those may be. They say any mad man can kick down a barn, but it takes a good carpenter to build one. We have agreed to help build a barn for our country, rather than merely kick down what we have,” Mr Odinga said.
In a notable pledge, the MoU proposes the strengthening of devolution.
The leaders also committed to ensuring the smooth flow of funds to political parties, which they said serve as key democratic institutions. As part of the agreement, the leaders also pledged to compensate victims of past protests.
Both leaders were keen to clarify that the agreement does not amount to the formation of a political coalition between Kenya Kwanza and ODM.
However, they indicated that its successful implementation could set the stage for broader political cooperation in the future.
“We make it clear that the memorandum we have signed today does not define the formation of a political coalition between ODM and UDA. However, its successful implementation could inform the basis of steps towards the establishment of a broadly constituted and progressive formation for a stable country in the future,” Mr Odinga said.
