As Kenya's 2027 election horizon draws closer, President Ruto and ODM's Oburu Oginga have summoned their parliamentary coalition to Naivasha — a retreat that speaks less to confidence than to caution. The gathering reflects a familiar tension in democratic politics: alliances forged in the aftermath of conflict must now be tested against the pressures of ambition, succession, and a newly energized opposition. What unfolds in Naivasha will reveal whether a coalition built on convenience can be transformed into one capable of enduring the long road ahead.
Ruto, Oburu Rally Coalition Lawmakers in Naivasha Strategy Meeting
Don't you think I deserve to be number two?
Mark
Why does a coalition that controls the presidency need to gather like this right now? Aren't they already winning?
Mimi
Control of the presidency doesn't guarantee control of the narrative. The opposition has been visible and organized in ways that caught the ruling side off guard. A by-election loss in Ol-Kalou signals that grassroots support isn't automatic.
Mark
What's the real issue beneath the strategy talk?
Mimi
The deputy presidency. ODM wants it as the price of their loyalty, but UDA wants to keep Kindiki. That's not a small disagreement—it's the kind of thing that can fracture a coalition if it's not resolved carefully.
Mark
So Oburu asking "Can I not be number two?" was a power move?
Mimi
It was a signal. He's saying ODM's demands are serious and personal. It puts pressure on Ruto to negotiate, but it also reveals that ODM isn't entirely unified on who should hold the position.
Mark
Does the Ol-Kalou loss actually matter, or is it just one seat?
Mimi
One seat matters less than what it signals. It suggests the coalition's machinery at the grassroots isn't as strong as they thought. That's the real concern driving this retreat.
Mark
What happens if they can't agree on the deputy presidency before 2027?
Mimi
The coalition either fractures publicly, or they paper over it with a deal that satisfies neither side fully. Either way, it weakens them heading into a campaign where the opposition is already organizing.
El Pulso
- Opposition leaders are uniting rapidly, holding rallies across the country and converging on a single presidential candidate strategy that has visibly unsettled the ruling coalition.
- A by-election loss in Ol-Kalou has exposed cracks in the coalition's grassroots support, turning what might have been a routine retreat into an urgent damage-control exercise.
- ODM is pressing hard for the deputy presidency in exchange for backing Ruto's re-election, but UDA's insistence on retaining Kithure Kindiki has created a collision course neither side has yet resolved.
- Oburu Oginga publicly floated his own claim to the deputy president position before village elders at State House, signaling that ODM's internal negotiations are far from settled.
- The Naivasha meeting is designed to project unity and strategic readiness, but its agenda — inter-party affairs, legislative priorities, and coalition coordination — reveals just how much internal alignment remains unfinished.
As Kenya's 2027 election horizon draws closer, President Ruto and ODM's Oburu Oginga have summoned their parliamentary coalition to Naivasha — a retreat that speaks less to confidence than to caution. The gathering reflects a familiar tension in democratic politics: alliances forged in the aftermath of conflict must now be tested against the pressures of ambition, succession, and a newly energized opposition. What unfolds in Naivasha will reveal whether a coalition built on convenience can be transformed into one capable of enduring the long road ahead.
President William Ruto and ODM leader Oburu Oginga have convened a two-day parliamentary retreat in Naivasha, drawing together lawmakers from Kenya Kwanza and ODM as opposition forces accelerate their own preparations for the 2027 election. The timing is deliberate — opposition leaders have been holding rallies and working to consolidate behind a single presidential candidate, prompting Senate Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo to describe the meeting as essential groundwork for a coalition that needs "a clear message and agenda before we hit the road."
Beneath the show of unity, however, the retreat is shadowed by an unresolved question: who will serve as deputy president on Ruto's 2027 ticket? ODM has made the second-highest office a central condition of its continued support, with three figures — Cabinet Secretaries Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho, and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga — all in contention. Oburu himself complicated the picture further when he publicly asked village elders at State House whether he deserved the position, a remark that signaled the party's internal negotiations remain unsettled. UDA, meanwhile, is backing the retention of current Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, leaving the coalition to navigate an obvious and unresolved tension.
Adding urgency to the gathering is a recent by-election loss in Ol-Kalou, where the coalition-backed candidate fell to the opposition — a defeat that has raised pointed questions about grassroots strength and rattled the ruling camp. The Naivasha retreat is meant to project confidence and readiness, but whether it can bridge the deputy presidency dispute and absorb the blow of Ol-Kalou will determine how convincingly that message lands.
President William Ruto and ODM party leader Oburu Oginga are gathering their parliamentary allies in Naivasha this week for a two-day strategy session—a move that signals growing anxiety within Kenya's ruling coalition as opposition forces sharpen their own political machinery ahead of the 2027 election.
The retreat brings together lawmakers from both Kenya Kwanza and ODM, the two parties that formed the broad-based government after last year's cooperation agreement. The timing is deliberate. Opposition leaders have been moving aggressively across the country in recent weeks, holding rallies and working to unite behind a single presidential candidate. Senate Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo framed the Naivasha meeting as essential groundwork. "We are in that season where we have to strategise politically," he said, adding that the coalition needs "a clear message and agenda before we hit the road." Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei echoed the sentiment, noting that while the opposition has been visible, the real campaign season has not yet begun—a reminder to supporters that momentum can shift.
But the retreat also exposes fractures within the coalition itself, particularly around the question of who will run as deputy president in 2027. ODM has been pushing for the second-highest office as part of its price for supporting Ruto's re-election. Three figures have emerged as potential contenders: Cooperative Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho, and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga. Oburu himself has complicated the picture by publicly staking a claim to the position during a meeting with village elders at State House on Tuesday. "Don't you think I deserve to be number two?" he asked. "Can I not be number two?" The question hung in the air—a signal that ODM's internal negotiations over the deputy presidency remain unsettled, even as the party seeks to formalize its broader political arrangement with UDA.
UDA, for its part, is backing the retention of current Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, creating an obvious tension that the Naivasha meeting will need to navigate. National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed's internal memo to coalition members, dated August 4, confirmed that "inter-party and coalition affairs" would be central to the agenda, alongside parliamentary business and legislative priorities.
The coalition faces a fresh wound. In the Ol-Kalou parliamentary by-election, the coalition-backed candidate lost to the opposition—a defeat that has rattled the ruling camp and raised questions about grassroots strength. The loss has intensified pressure on Ruto and Oburu to shore up support at the ground level and demonstrate that the broad-based government remains a formidable political force. The Naivasha retreat is meant to send that message: unity, strategy, and readiness for the campaign ahead. Whether it can paper over the deputy presidency question and the lingering doubt from Ol-Kalou remains to be seen.
Citas Notables
We are in that season where we have to strategise politically. We want to have a clear message and agenda before we hit the road.— Senate Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo
Don't you think I deserve to be number two? Can I not be number two?— Oburu Oginga, ODM party leader
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Politics & Governance