President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has convened a special National Executive Council (NEC) meeting this morning to endorse coalition talks with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
The Nation has established that the meeting is expected to give President Ruto a formal mandate to engage ODM in negotiations aimed at forming a coalition ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The meeting of the ruling party’s top decision-making organ comes a day after ODM’s Central Management Committee (CMC) mandated party leader Dr Oburu Oginga in Kilifi County to initiate talks with UDA.
UDA national elections board’s Chairman Anthony Mwaura.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
The ruling party’s National Elections Board Chairman Anthony Mwaura, who is also a member of the party’s NEC, confirmed the agenda of the meeting, saying it is meant to authorise President Ruto to commence coalition negotiations.
“It is the mandate of the President to lead the party in coalition talks. As the NEC, our role is to give him the green light to engage ODM and any other like-minded political parties,” Mr Mwaura said.
He added that today’s meeting will also deliberate on the recently concluded polling centre-level party elections in 20 counties.
On Monday, Dr Oburu announced that ODM is ready to begin talks with various political formations, with UDA taking priority. He said the party could not afford to delay preparations for the 2027 elections.
“The Committee meeting expressed the intention to initiate structured negotiations with different political formations, beginning with the United Democratic Alliance. To this end, we have mandated the Party Leader to commence this process. Concurrently, consultations with party members will proceed, culminating in a National Delegates Convention (NDC),”’Dr Oburu said after the CMC meeting in Vipingo, Kilifi County.
Dr Oburu had earlier indicated that the two parties would establish negotiating teams to lead the talks.
“We will soon form a negotiating team to begin talks with UDA because it is difficult for any party to go it alone without seeking the support of others,” he said on Friday during a burial in Alego Usonga, Siaya County.
“We got into this government by accident. As we approach 2027, we will not get into government through the back door. I will personally lead ODM’s negotiations.”
ODM structures across the country have since been mobilised to support the move pending the convening of the party’s NDC, which is expected later this year. There has been coordinated mobilisation and endorsement of the proposed coalition.
The process began with a meeting of about 40 ODM Members of Parliament in Nairobi’s Karen suburb, where they publicly backed the decision. On Tuesday, delegates from various regions were being mobilised to declare their support.
In Kisumu, ODM’s county vice-chairman Seth Ochieng led delegates in endorsing the party’s resolution. The regional mobilisation is partly driven by concerns that factions opposed to President Ruto’s re-election could attempt to influence outcomes at the NDC.
ODM Party Leader Oburu Odinga with deputy party leaders Abdulswamad Nassir and Simba Arati, chairperson Gladys Wanga and others at the top leadership meeting held at Vipingo Ridge, Kilifi County, on January 12, 2025.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group
Several senior ODM leaders — including Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna , co-deputy party leader Godfrey Osotsi, Siaya Governor James Orengo and MPs Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Caleb Amisi (Saboti) and Antony Kibagendi (Kitutu Chache South) — have publicly opposed backing President Ruto for a second term.
They have demanded that the NDC be allowed to make the final decision on the party’s direction, amid internal divisions that have intensified following the death of ODM’s founding leader, Raila Odinga.
“We were supposed to hold our National Delegates Convention towards the end of the year, but we may be forced to convene it earlier to demonstrate to the country that this is a strong party,” ODM co-deputy party leader and Kisii Governor Simba Arati told the Nation.
“There are those who think the party will disintegrate after the NDC. That is not possible. The NDC will simply affirm what the people already know,” Mr Arati said.
He added that those opposed to the broad-based arrangement lack the numbers to take over the party’s leadership.
“The party has structures and leadership. There is freedom of expression, but party positions are determined through established organs,” he said.
Following Monday’s CMC meeting, Dr Oburu said ODM would also intensify grassroots mobilisation to position itself strongly for the next general election.
