Ruto, Raila Officially Sign Deal: List Of Agreements

The agreement was made public during an event attended by prominent leaders, including politicians from both Kenya Kwanza-affiliated parties and the ODM party.

Ruto, Raila Officially Sign Deal: List Of Agreements
President William Ruto (right) greets Raila Odinga (left) while Kimani Ichung'wah looks on at State Lodge in Mombasa on Monday, February 24, 2025. /PCS

After months of speculation, President William Ruto and Raila Odinga have officially joined forces.

The party leaders of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday, March 7, which brought ODM into the Kenya Kwanza administration.

The agreement was made public during an event attended by prominent leaders, including politicians from both Kenya Kwanza-affiliated parties and the ODM party.

Key agreements between the two leaders include the full implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report, tackling youth unemployment, and enforcing the two-thirds gender rule.

President William Ruto and Raila Odinga sign partnership through the Kenya Kwanza - ODM Framework Agreement on March 7, 2025. /CITIZEN TV.VIRAL TEA KE

Additionally, Ruto and Raila are committed to fostering inclusivity among Kenyans, regardless of religious background, emphasizing that this will create equal opportunities for public appointments.

ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna stated that the leaders also pledged to uphold leadership and integrity by curbing excessive luxury among officials and establishing a legal framework to address conflicts of interest in government institutions.

Furthermore, they signed an agreement to safeguard and promote the rule of law while upholding constitutional principles.

The agreement also urged the government to uphold the right to peaceful assembly and ensure compensation for all pending claims of rights victims.

President Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga also signed a deal for an immediate audit of the national debt, outlining how each loan acquired by Kenya was utilized.

Additionally, they committed to eradicating corruption and curbing the misuse of public resources, particularly by government officials.

As part of the broad-based government framework, they pledged to safeguard devolution as outlined in the 2010 Constitution, which established the 47 counties.

Here are the key points of the 10-point deal:

  1. Full implementation of the NADCO (National Dialogue Committee) report
  2. Inclusivity in budgetary allocations and public appointments
  3. Protect and strengthen devolution
  4. Economic investment in the youth
  5. Leadership, integrity & end of opulence
  6. The right to peaceful assembly, compensation of all pending claims of rights victims
  7. Audit of national debt and how it was used
  8. Fight corruption
  9. Stopping wastage of public resources
  10. Protect the sovereignty of the people, stop abductions, respect constitutionalism and the rule of law and respect press freedom.

This development came a day after the former prime minister wrapped up his two-week nationwide consultative tour, gathering Kenyans' views on his next political step. This is after his African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson campaigns flopped at the elections, losing to Djibouti's Mahamoud Youssouf after six rounds.

Raila was eliminated in narrow circumstances in the sixth round, leaving Mahamoud with an open road to victory in the AUC elections and making him the seventh African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson since its establishment in 2002. The other candidate, Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar, finished last.

Youssouf secured victory in the seventh round after Raila was eliminated, earning 33 votes to claim the seat for the next four years, meeting the required two-thirds majority.

ODM Leader Raila Odinga delivers a speech on June 5, 2024. /MUSALIA MUDAVADI