Ruto, Oburu lead talks as ODM, UDA move to fix coalition tensions

President William Ruto and ODM Party Leader Dr Oburu Oginga led the parties' steering committees in a meeting at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday to streamline frameworks on strengthening collaboration and exploring areas of mutual interest.

They resolved to have both party leaders continue holding engagements across the party organs to build consensus on priority issues and create a blueprint for a formal coalition of equals between the two parties.

"The two party leaders agreed to establish a Broad-Based Management Committee comprising the party leaders, selected Cabinet Ministers, and the Majority and Minority Leaders in Parliament," read a statement in part.

The committee will coordinate the legislative and executive agenda of the government to ensure coherence, efficiency, and effective service delivery. 

Both parties agreed to support constructive dialogue and share a vision for national development and inclusive governance.

This comes amid simmering tensions within the coalition, as Oburu accused some UDA officials of making remarks that risk straining ties between the two political outfits.

During an earlier press address, ODM cited what it termed as "unwarranted public utterances" by some UDA officials, saying their remarks were worrying for the Orange party.

The party demanded respect, warning that the perceived disquiet within the broad-based government should not be taken for granted.

“On our relationship with our broad-based partners, the UDA party, the Central Committee noted with concern the goings on and the unwarranted public utterances by some senior officials of the UDA Party aimed at causing anxiety and disquiet among our members,” ODM stated in a statement.

“As a party that believes in its principles, ideology and the foundation on which it was founded, we demand respect from the UDA party.

The parties formed the broad-based government in early 2025 under President Ruto and the late ODM leader Raila Odinga, aimed to create an inclusive, stable, and unified administration.

It also sought to reduce the cost of living, enhance service delivery and ensure fair regional representation in government.

The arrangement has largely absorbed the opposition, as major political competitors share power, invoking a nail-biting dilemma on how they will align themselves ahead of the 2027 polls.