New Committee Aims to Stabilize Kenyan Coalition Government
Kenyan President William Ruto has taken steps to address growing political tensions within his coalition government, establishing a joint committee to manage the relationship between his ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). The move comes as both parties seek to maintain stability in their alliance, which has faced internal challenges in recent months.
A State House statement released after a meeting involving top officials from the two parties on Thursday outlined the formation of the Broad-Based Government Management Committee. This new body is tasked with coordinating and harmonizing the government agenda in both parliament and the public service. President Ruto, as the leader of the UDA, will co-chair the committee alongside ODM’s Oburu Oginga. Additional members include Cabinet ministers and parliamentary majority and minority leaders.
Despite the announcement, the statement provided limited details about the committee’s specific mandate. It remains unclear how this new team will interact with existing structures such as Cabinet sub-committees and House business committees. However, the inclusion of ODM representatives in the group is expected to give the opposition party a stronger voice in shaping government policies, programs, and appointments. This could help ease the political tensions that had previously led ODM to threaten withdrawal from the coalition.
The current situation was sparked by statements from National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed, who alleged in a report published in the Daily Nation that senior administration figures were plotting to weaken ODM’s influence in government. Mohamed, a prominent figure within ODM, claimed that these unnamed officials felt threatened by ODM’s presence in state power structures and sought to shift the balance of power ahead of the 2027 elections.
ODM’s central committee echoed these concerns in a statement released after its meeting on April 16. The party expressed concern over “unwarranted public utterances” by some UDA officials, which it claimed caused anxiety among its members. ODM emphasized its commitment to its principles and called for respect from the UDA party.
Historical Context and Current Challenges
The UDA and ODM have been part of a loose post-election coalition known as the Broad-Based Government since July 2024. This alliance was formed when then-ODM leader Raila Odinga struck a deal with President Ruto to stabilize an administration facing unrest due to a youth-led protest against tax hikes. The coalition is expected to evolve into a formal pre-election partnership in the coming weeks, though the parties have yet to announce their representatives on an eight-member negotiating committee.
However, the coalition has struggled in the past six months following the death of Raila Odinga on October 15 last year and subsequent factional conflicts within ODM. A resurgent faction opposed to ODM supporting President Ruto’s re-election in 2027 has placed pressure on Oburu Oginga, the 82-year-old senator who succeeded his brother as party leader.
This faction, led by Edwin Sifuna, a young senator, and James Orengo, a 75-year-old county governor with a background in protest politics, has launched a movement called Linda Mwananchi (Protect the Common Man) to rally support for an anti-Ruto campaign.
Meanwhile, the mainstream Oburu-led team has raised the stakes in its negotiations with Ruto’s UDA. They are demanding electoral zoning to prevent the ruling party from fielding candidates in ODM’s traditional strongholds, as well as an equal power-sharing arrangement and the Deputy President’s position if they form the next government.
These proposals have faced resistance from some UDA politicians, intensifying tensions within the Broad-Based Government.
