NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 10 – Lawmakers from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) have agreed to establish a technical committee to review policy priorities as part of a potential coalition framework ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Addressing the joint parliamentary group, President William Ruto emphasized that the engagement is guided by national interests rather than political coercion.
“No, we are doing this because it is good for Kenya and because we made a commitment not by force but because we wanted to do it and I am very confident that working with you we will find the way into the future together,” he said.
Ruto urged lawmakers to expedite the passage of pending legislation arising from the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) Report, noting that some initiatives had stalled due to parliamentary and judicial procedures.
“Finally, while some initiatives have taken longer due to parliamentary and other judicial procedures, we must now accelerate the passage of the laws that are there in Parliament and I do recommend that we establish a mediation committee, a broad-based mediation committee to negotiate between the two houses of Parliament so that we can fast-track whatever is remaining of the 10-point agenda,” he said.
The President also backed a request by the oversight committee implementing the reform agenda to extend its mandate by two months.
“I know the committee and the oversight committee have requested us to extend their term by only 60 days for them to conclude some of the processes they are doing and I think it’s only fair. They have done a great job. I think it’s only fair that we extend that by 60 days. I don’t know whether that is agreeable to members here,” he said.
He said the engagement between the two parties had been endorsed by key decision-making organs within both political formations.
“Following consultations between the party leader of ODM and myself on behalf of all of us the UDA management committee did endorse that we begin consultations between UDA Kenya Kwanza and ODM,”
“It was also approved by the National Executive Committee of UDA and it was also approved by the National Governing Council of UDA. The same happened for ODM. There was I think a meeting of the management committee of ODM, NEC and also the other organs,” he said.
Ruto said the joint parliamentary group meeting should formally adopt the decisions made by the party organs to guide further engagement between the two sides.
“It is my proposal that this PG endorses what was agreed in the organs of ODM and in the organs of UDA as a means of carrying also the decision as endorsed by this joint parliamentary group,” he said.
He added that the technical process would help shape the framework for continued cooperation between the two political formations.
“I therefore put a question that as many as of the opinion that they agree with the decisions of the organs of ODM and the organs of UDA on the process of engagement between our two formations,” he said.
