Lead image for Ruto: UDA-ODM pact is here to stay.
In a strong pushback against growing unease within his coalition, President William Ruto on Sunday declared that his broad-based political partnership with Raila Odinga's ODM is firm and here to stay.
Speaking during a church service and fundraiser at St Stephen's ACK Church in Moiben, Uasin Gishu County, the President sought to reassure his traditional allies that the inclusion of ODM leaders in government should not be a source of anxiety.
“ODM members are Kenyans. This government is big enough for all of us and no one should be bitter about their presence,” President Ruto said in remarks widely seen as an attempt to steady his broad-based coalition amid growing succession politics.
His comments come amid heightened jostling within the alliance over the 2027 elections, with leaders from ODM and the Western region increasingly being mentioned as possible contenders for the deputy president's position.
The remarks also follow Deputy President Kithure Kindiki's recent declaration that the Ruto-Kindiki ticket for 2027 is non-negotiable.
Read: Ruto's 2027 puzzle: Keep Kindiki or chase the numbers?
“We are not leaving this government. (Wycliffe) Oparanya and his team have joined us and we have welcomed them, but we are not leaving,” Prof Kindiki said last week.
The Deputy President has repeatedly warned politicians against using the deputy president's office as a bargaining chip, insisting those angling for the position should instead focus on supporting President Ruto's re-election.