In Kenya’s charged political climate, unlikely partnerships are not new. But the emerging alliance between Raila Odinga’s ODM and President William Ruto’s UDA, anchored in a detailed 10-point agenda, is turning heads not just for its symbolism—but for its substance.
At the heart of this new partnership lies a sweeping action plan that touches the core of Kenya’s governance challenges: youth unemployment, political accountability, devolution, and civil liberties.
The joint roadmap, now being implemented by technical teams from both parties, includes a Sh20 billion employment fund for young people, intergenerational national dialogue forums targeting Gen Z, and a national taskforce to compensate victims of past political protests. Odinga himself is pushing for a national summit that will unite political, religious, youth, and civil society voices to define Kenya’s future vision.
“We are not here for optics,” Odinga told Nation Media Group. “We are working with clear benchmarks and expectations.”
The partnership has already borne fruit. Disbursements to counties have increased to Sh415 billion, a step ODM says shows Ruto’s commitment to devolution—although the party is pushing for a higher Sh450 billion threshold.
The anti-corruption push has also taken shape with President Ruto signing the Conflict of Interest Bill, signaling intent to clean up public service.
Legislatively, a bipartisan team—spearheaded by Ichung’wah and Junet Mohamed in the National Assembly and Cheruiyot and Madzayo in the Senate—has been tasked with shepherding key bills aligned with the MoU’s goals.
It’s a quiet revolution in the making. While political pundits debate the implications of an ODM-UDA alliance in 2027, the groundwork is being laid through public programs and institutional reforms. For now, both parties are letting action—not rhetoric—lead the way.
