• This political deal has since sparked visible tremors inside ODM, splitting the party down the middle. On one side, loyalists rally behind the union of Ruto and Raila; on the other, defiant voices cling to ODM's traditional stance as the regime’s watchdog.
  • Senator Sifuna's relentless attacks on the pact have ignited speculation about ODM’s true 2027 play.

In a political quake on March 7, 2025, President William Ruto and Raila Odinga shook hands as UDA and ODM sealed an unexpected pact.

With cameras flashing at Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), the two inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) –flanked by party heavyweights and bathed in speculation.

It is worth recalling that the MoU was founded on a 10-point commitments and resolutions framework, among them: implementing the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report, promoting inclusivity in governance and national development, protecting and strengthening devolution, and addressing Kenya’s debt crisis.

President Ruto’s administration was now coined the Broad-Based Government.

As the ink dried on the ODM-UDA pact, Kenya was split between outrage and optimism. For many, it felt like betrayal, a silencing of ODM's long-held voice of resistance.

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Yet, for others, it marked a rare moment of political perfection: two powerhouses daring to unite beyond rivalry, casting aside the sword to chase the vision of a more unified Kenya.

This political deal has since sparked visible tremors inside ODM, splitting the party down the middle. On one side, loyalists rally behind the union of Ruto and Raila; on the other, defiant voices cling to ODM's traditional stance as the regime’s watchdog.

The friction has grown so stark that its Secretary-General, Senator Edwin Sifuna, publicly declared the pact "dead," branding the situation as nothing short of political confusion.

Sifuna's relentless attacks on the pact have ignited speculation about ODM’s true 2027 play. Is he the party’s internal agitator, shaking its foundations from within? Or a cunning decoy –Raila’s Trojan horse in a calculated retreat from a deal gone sour?

Either way, the tension is rising, and the roadmap to 2027 looks anything but straightforward.

Remember, the Kenya Kwanza win in 2022 was razor-thin, barely edging past Raila’s Azimio Coalition. Fast forward to the 13th Parliament’s disorder over majority control, which hints at a shifting power tide that Ruto has managed to keep at bay.

While Raila’s camp flexes undeniable political muscle, the fractures within his party may be precisely what propels Ruto back to State House in 2027.