On Wednesday, January 14, newspapers reported on the current political situation, with the ruling UDA party preparing for coalition talks with the ODM party.
Source: UGC
The newspapers also highlighted President William Ruto’s plan to restore Mount Kenya after falling out with his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.
Daily Nation
The newspaper reported on the readiness of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to join forces with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) before the 2027 general election.
Party led by the President William Ruto called a special meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) on Wednesday morning to approve the coalition talks with ODM.
According to Daily Nationthe meeting is expected to give Ruto the official authority to negotiate with ODM about forming a coalition.
This meeting of the main organ of the ruling party comes just one day after the Central Management Committee (CMC) gave the party leader Oburu Oginga in Kilifi County the responsibility of initiating discussions with the UDA.
Anthony Mwaura, chairman of the party’s National Electoral Board and a member of the NEC, confirmed the agenda, noting that it is meant to authorize Ruto to start coalition talks.
“It is the responsibility of the president to lead the party in the coalition talks. As NEC, our responsibility is to give him permission to engage ODM and any other political parties with the same mind,” Mwaura said.
He added that the council will also review the recently completed polling station level elections in 20 counties.
On Monday, Oburu announced that ODM was ready to start talks with different political groups, giving priority to UDA.
He stressed the urgency of preparing for the 2027 elections.
“The committee meeting expressed the intention to start a dialogue organized with different political groups, it started to be indicated by the UDA. For this purpose, we have instructed the leader of the party to start this process. At the same time, the consultation with the members of the party will continue, and will end in the National Conference of Delegates (NDC),” he said.
Oburu had earlier indicated that both parties would form negotiating teams.
“Soon we will form a negotiation team to start negotiations with UDA because it is difficult for any party to negotiate alone without seeking the help of others. We entered this government by accident. As we approach 2027, we will not enter government through the back door. I will personally lead the ODM negotiations,” he said on January 9 during the funeral in Alego Usonga, Siaya County.
ODM structures across the country have been mobilized to support the action taken by the NDC which is expected later this year.
The mobilization started with about 40 ODM MPs meeting in the Karen neighborhood in Nairobi, where they publicly endorsed the plan.
On Tuesday, delegates in various areas gathered to announce support; in Kisumu, deputy county chairman Seth Ochieng led the local delegates to support the resolution.
This regional pressure is caused in part by the fear that groups opposed to Ruto’s re-election could influence the NDC’s results.
Several ODM senior figures, including Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, deputy co-leader Godfrey Osotsi, Governor of Siaya James Orengoand MPs Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Caleb Amisi (Saboti), and Antony Kibagendi (Kitutu Chache South), have clearly refused to support Ruto for a second term.
They insist that the NDC must have the final say on the direction of the party, amid growing divisions following the death of ODM’s founding leader, Raila Odinga.
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