Photo: President Ruto/Facebook
President William Ruto on Monday defended the growing political cooperation between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), describing it as a deliberate effort to build strong national parties anchored on ideology, vision, and long-term governance goals.
Speaking after chairing a meeting of the UDA National Governing Council (NGC) at State House, Nairobi, the President said the coalition talks with ODM are aimed at strengthening a broad-based political formation capable of sustaining development programmes beyond electoral cycles.
He maintained that the partnership positions the ruling side for a decisive victory in the 2027 General Election.
Further details of the meeting were shared by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, who said the NGC overwhelmingly resolved to ratify and formally initiate UDA–ODM joint coalition talks ahead of the 2027 polls.
According to the resolution, the proposed pre-coalition agreement is expected to entrench the broad-based government agenda and secure a landslide victory, with UDA projecting a winning margin of between two and three million votes.
The council also resolved to fast-track the full implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report alongside the agreed 10-point agenda between UDA and ODM.
The agenda has been central to recent bipartisan engagements between the government and the opposition-linked party.
In addition, the NGC agreed to align the UDA party manifesto with the broad-based political formation.
Senator Cherargei noted that the party leadership assessed the manifesto’s progress and concluded that more than 90 per cent of its commitments have already been implemented.
While supporters argue the coalition promotes political stability and policy continuity, critics remain concerned about its implications for opposition oversight.
Nonetheless, Ruto insisted the alliance reflects a strategic shift toward inclusive and durable national politics.