President William Ruto and ODM leader Oburu Oginga have moved to formalise a political alliance between Kenya Kwanza and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), with the two sides establishing joint teams to prepare a common manifesto and a coalition framework ahead of the August 2027 General Election.

The decision was reached during a high-level retreat in Naivasha attended by leaders from the broad-based government, marking a significant step in transforming the UDA-ODM partnership in government into a formal electoral alliance.

The  meeting agreed to establish two five-member committees, with each side nominating five representatives.

The first committee will develop a joint manifesto, identifying areas of policy convergence between Kenya Kwanza and ODM and proposing programmes on economic, social and governance issues.

The second committee will prepare the Coalition Framework Agreement, including the principles and structures that will govern the alliance and proposals on leadership and power-sharing arrangements after the 2027 election. 

Ruto said the committees would begin their work immediately, describing the move as the formalisation of a political partnership that has been developing under the broad-based government.

“This formalises the political partnership we have built,” Ruto said, adding that the coalition would seek to consolidate the government's record and present Kenyans with a common programme for the next phase of national development. 

The Joint Manifesto Committee will include Isaac Wanuge, Maryam Abdullahi Mbaruk, Leonida Kerubo Omosa, Engineer Kare Orege and Professor Bernard Muok from ODM.

Kenya Kwanza has nominated Emmanuel Nzai, Dr Daniel Mwai, Bramwell Simiyu, Mohammed Hassan and Dr Cecilia Ng'etich. The executive directors of ODM and UDA will serve as ex-officio members of the committee. 

The framework committee will similarly comprise five representatives from each side. Its task will be to recommend the governance structures of the proposed coalition and outline the leadership arrangements under which the alliance would operate.

The development follows weeks of negotiations over the future of the broad-based government and the shape of the alliance going into the 2027 election.

Ahead of the Naivasha meeting, ODM had pushed for a stronger role in the proposed coalition, including negotiations over the deputy presidency and other power-sharing arrangements. Citizen Digital reported that ODM leaders had also raised the possibility of a 50-50 power-sharing formula during the discussions. 

Those questions are now expected to form part of the work of the coalition framework committee, making the team potentially central to determining the balance of power between the two political formations.

For ODM, the alliance also presents a delicate political balancing act. Oburu sought to reassure members that the party would retain its identity and influence despite entering a formal electoral arrangement with Ruto's UDA.

“ODM is not going to be swallowed,” Oburu said, insisting that the party had entered the broad-based government from a position of strength. 

He said the eventual coalition programme must reflect policies from both ODM and Kenya Kwanza, citing areas such as housing and universal healthcare where the two sides already share common ground.

Oburu also expressed confidence that the alliance would win the 2027 election by a landslide, while maintaining that the partnership was founded on inclusivity and democratic competition.

Ruto, meanwhile, sought to project confidence in the coalition's record, pointing to what he described as progress in agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure and economic recovery.

The President also promised a peaceful election in 2027, saying all political formations would have an opportunity to present their policies to voters. 

The Naivasha agreement represents a major political shift ahead of the next election. What began as cooperation between Ruto's administration and ODM has now entered the stage of negotiating a formal electoral pact.

The immediate test will be whether the two committees can reconcile the parties' competing interests on policy, candidate selection, regional representation and power-sharing while maintaining the political unity necessary to mount a joint campaign.