POLITICAL SHAKE-UP: RUTO, ODM FORM COALITION AHEAD OF 2027 Naivasha, Kenya.

Speaking during a Broad-Based Government media address following engagements with leaders of the alliance at a Lake Naivasha resort, Ruto said the decision followed consultations within the respective parties and formations.

“After consultations within our respective parties and formations, Kenya Kwanza and ODM have today formally resolved to develop a joint manifesto for the next election and constitute a coalition to contest the 2027 General Election together,” the President stated.

Ruto described the move as formalising a partnership that began as cooperation in government under the broad-based arrangement and transforming it into a common political platform seeking the mandate of Kenyans in August 2027. He said the partnership must now be given a clear political framework for the future, consolidating progress made by the broad-based government, completing ongoing reforms, and presenting a shared programme for the next phase of national development.

The announcement came during a multi-day parliamentary and governors’ retreat involving leaders from both sides of the broad-based government. Ruto told participants that victory in 2027 was essential, stating the alternative was “difficult to fathom” and characterising opponents as lacking agenda, policy, and experience.

To operationalise the agreement, the two sides established a 10-member joint technical team — five nominees from each formation — tasked with drafting the common manifesto. The executive directors of ODM and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the core party in Kenya Kwanza, will serve as ex-officio members.

ODM’s nominees are Isaac Wanuge, Mariam Abdullahi Mbaruk (also referred to as Mariam Abdulai), Leonida Kerubo Omosa, Engineer Kari Orege (or Carey Orege), and Professor Benard Muok (or Bernard Mok). Kenya Kwanza’s nominees are Emmanuel Nzai, Dr Daniel Mwai, Bramwell Simiyu, Mohammed Hassan, and Dr Cecilia Ngetich. One report identified UDA Executive Director Nicodemus Bore as an ex-officio member.

Ruto emphasised that the team’s work goes beyond producing a political document. The manifesto, he said, will draw from the shared values and priorities of the two formations while incorporating aspirations, ideas, and priorities expressed by Kenyans, including through the national conversation on Kenya Beyond Vision 2030 and the National Development Charter expected to emerge from that process. The team is to identify common priorities, harmonise ideas requiring consensus, and craft practical policies addressing economic, social, and governance aspirations.



Separately, Ruto and ODM party leader Dr Oburu Odinga will each nominate five members to a second technical team. That group will develop the coalition framework, governance structures, and leadership arrangements. Work on both fronts is expected to begin immediately.

The developments formalise a partnership that has deepened since the formation of the broad-based government. ODM leaders, including Oburu, have previously indicated support for Ruto’s re-election bid and stated that the party does not intend to field its own presidential candidate. Oburu has described the arrangement as one in which ODM seeks greater influence “through the main door” after initially joining government through cooperation.

At the Naivasha gathering, Oburu reaffirmed ODM’s position, noting that the party joined the arrangement from a position of strength as Kenya’s largest party with nationwide structures. He recalled that the late Raila Odinga was party leader when the broad-based arrangement began and said ODM’s policies on issues such as housing and universal health coverage align with those of Kenya Kwanza. He dismissed suggestions that ODM would be absorbed, stating that Ruto welcomed the party for both its numbers and quality.

The joint manifesto process builds on earlier indications of cooperation. In recent months, ODM had announced plans for a joint technical team with UDA to draft a shared policy agenda to guide campaigning for Ruto’s re-election. Negotiations on a common platform had been underway, with both sides appointing representatives to work on policy areas including economic management, healthcare, education, agriculture, youth employment, devolution, and infrastructure.

The formal coalition resolution comes against the backdrop of Kenya’s shifting political landscape. Kenya Kwanza, led by Ruto’s UDA, won the 2022 election by a narrow margin. The subsequent broad-based government incorporated ODM figures into Cabinet and other positions following political understandings that evolved after the 2022 polls and further developments in 2025. ODM has held significant influence in Nyanza, parts of Western Kenya, and coastal regions, areas that could expand the ruling alliance’s national reach.

Ruto has previously expressed ambition for a decisive victory in 2027, citing lessons from the narrow 2022 margin and the need for a broader national mandate to implement the administration’s transformation agenda. The joint platform is expected to present a unified programme to voters based on continuity of current initiatives alongside priorities drawn from both formations and public input.

Details of how the joint manifesto will be presented to the public, the precise legal registration of the coalition with the Registrar of Political Parties, and internal party ratification processes through organs such as national governing councils or delegates conferences are expected to unfold in the coming months. For now, the Monday announcement establishes the political intent of the two major formations to contest the next election as partners under a common agenda.