‘ODM-UDA pact not a coalition,’ Raila sets the record straight on Ruto deal

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party chief Raila Odinga has sought to clarify that the political agreement he signed with President William Ruto on Friday is not an indication of a merger between the opposition outfit and the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Raila, speaking at KICC after appending his signature to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), said the move is merely intended to ease the present political pressure in the country in a bid to achieve stability.

He went ahead to state that the MoU, which will involve the full implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report, also aims at addressing the everyday suffering faced by Kenyans for the betterment of the general populace.

“Today we have signed an MoU between ODM and UDA. The goal of the MoU is to help ease the prevailing tension in the country, reconcile the population, alleviate suffering, and move the country forward by addressing the critical social, political and economic issues our people are grappling with today,” he said.

“We make it clear that the memorandum we have signed today does not define the formation of a political coalition between ODM and UDA. However, its successful implementation could form the basis of steps towards the establishment of a stable country in future.”

The former Prime Minister went ahead to reveal that when he initially announced his interest in the African Union Commission (AUC) Chair seat, he did not expect to be supported by President Ruto and, by extension, the government of Kenya.

He noted that President Ruto’s endorsement and subsequent campaign for his bid caught him by surprise, further expressing his gratitude for the same.

“I did not expect to be supported by the Kenyan government. But out of the blues, President Ruto announced that he would support my candidature. I thought maybe he thought that ‘this is the best way to get rid of him, good riddance.’ I said that irrespective of the motives (I would still run),” he stated.

“He actually was genuine because he followed that announcement by giving full support to my candidature. They put the machinery behind my campaign, and President Ruto himself made calls to various Presidents to persuade them to support my candidature.”

He added: “We campaigned strongly and went to Addis Ababa quite confident of victory. When I came back, I went to meet with the President in Mombasa to thank him for the support that the govt had given me during that campaign. I found the two sides had already come up with some document that they wanted signed. I told them that I cannot sign without consulting our people.”