NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan President William Ruto has announced a significant expansion of cooperation between his Kenya Kwanza political alliance and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), with the two sides establishing committees to prepare a joint manifesto and develop a coalition agreement framework ahead of the August 2027 General Election.
According to Ruto, the arrangement is intended to formalize a political partnership that has gradually developed between the governing alliance and ODM. Each side will appoint five representatives to a joint team responsible for developing a common manifesto, while another committee with equal representation will work on the framework governing the proposed coalition arrangement.
“This formalises the political partnership we have built and gives it a clear mandate,” Ruto said in a public statement. He explained that the initiative is designed to consolidate achievements already made, complete reforms currently underway and prepare a common program for the next phase of Kenya’s national development.
The latest development represents a further evolution of political cooperation between Ruto’s administration and ODM. In March 2025, Ruto and then-ODM leader Raila Odinga signed a framework agreement aimed at addressing a range of political, economic and social concerns. The agreement included commitments related to inclusive governance, devolution, public-sector integrity, management of national debt, constitutionalism and implementation of recommendations arising from national dialogue initiatives.
At the time, Ruto maintained that the agreement was focused on national cohesion and socioeconomic transformation rather than electoral power-sharing. The subsequent political process has nevertheless developed further, with the United Democratic Alliance formally approving structured engagement with ODM and supporting negotiations toward a coalition agreement before the 2027 election.
Negotiations on a shared political agenda have progressed during 2026. ODM Party Leader Oburu Oginga previously confirmed that representatives from the two political organizations had begun working toward a joint manifesto, with five members selected from each side to harmonize policy priorities.
Ruto described the latest stage of cooperation as the beginning of a broader political journey toward August 2027. He said the parties would emphasize their record in government, identify areas where additional work remains necessary and develop a policy platform to present to Kenyan voters.
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The announcement followed a Broad-Based Parliamentary Group and Governors Retreat in Naivasha, Nakuru County, attended by senior political leaders from the cooperating parties. Ruto said he presided over the gathering alongside ODM Party Leader Oburu Oginga, describing him as his “elder brother” as the two leaders advanced discussions surrounding the broad-based political arrangement.
Oburu has separately emphasized the importance of ODM maintaining political unity while participating in negotiations ahead of the election. Speaking in May, he said the party intended to approach coalition discussions from a position of organizational strength while remaining engaged in the broad-based government arrangement. “Our strength lies in our unity,” he told supporters while discussing ODM’s preparations for the next general election.
The movement toward a formal electoral partnership marks an important transformation in Kenya’s political landscape. Kenya Kwanza and ODM historically occupied competing political positions, but their growing cooperation has increasingly centered on governance reforms, economic priorities and national political stability. The emerging coalition process could significantly influence party alignments and campaign strategies as Kenya approaches the 2027 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Ruto said the forthcoming political program would be presented as a continuation of ongoing reforms rather than a campaign based solely on new promises. The joint committees are expected to provide the institutional structure through which the two political formations will negotiate their shared policy priorities and determine the terms of their cooperation ahead of the national vote.
