ODM to Ruto: DP slot, half of government or no deal
Raila’s party hardens 2027 demands, declares power-sharing “non-negotiable” as Kindiki allies fight to retain second-highest office; Oparanya emerges as possible running mate.
The political honeymoon between President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is facing a fresh test after top officials of the former opposition party-turned government allied formation under the Broad-Based Government (BBG) arrangement renewed push for their earlier declaration that the Deputy President position and a 50 per cent share of government power are non-negotiable conditions for supporting Ruto’s re-election in 2027.
This week, a handful of top ODM officials reportedly held a strategic meeting to firm up common front to push for what our sources said are “irreducible minimum” demands and stake in government to support President Ruto’s re-election bid next year.
ODM has dramatically raised the stakes in the emerging 2027 coalition negotiations, demanding an equal share of state and government positions alongside the running-mate slot, while insisting on the implementation of key agreements reached under the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) process.
Effectively, Ruto’s 2027 re-election strategy has run into a major political roadblock considering new demands by ODM as the price tag for its support for his re-election bid in next years General Elections.
What began as a broad-based government arrangement is increasingly turning into a fierce contest over the control and distribution of political power ahead of the 2027 General Election.
ODM leaders have now drawn what they describe as “irreducible minimums” for any political pact with Ruto, effectively putting the President on notice that the party expects a direct and substantial political return for backing his second-term bid.
The demands have unsettled sections of the Kenya Kwanza coalition, particularly allies of Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and leaders from the Mt Kenya region, who insist that the second-highest office should remain in their political backyard.
ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga and Deputy Party Leader Simba Arati have maintained that the party will not enter a 2027 arrangement with UDA on terms that leave it as a junior partner.
The party wants 50–50 power sharing in government and has positioned the Deputy President slot as a central condition for backing Ruto’s second-term bid.
Arati has gone further, declaring that ODM will not surrender the Deputy President position to UDA unless either President Ruto or his deputy, Kindiki, crosses the political divide and joins ODM.
The declaration threatens to turn the emerging Ruto-ODM alliance into a high-stakes battle over who controls the 2027 ticket and the distribution of political power after the election.
“The Deputy President position is ours. We cannot negotiate away our stake in the government,” Arati said, insisting that ODM’s support must come with a meaningful share of power.
The party’s demands are not limited to the executive. ODM is also pushing for aggressive representation in elective positions, including plans to field candidates across Nairobi and other strategic regions where it seeks to strengthen its political footprint.
The party is further demanding the full implementation of the NADCO report and compensation for victims of civil protests, adding another layer to the negotiations with Ruto’s administration.
Oparanya emerges in DP race
As the ODM leadership stakes its claim to the running-mate position, attention has increasingly turned to Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, who has received endorsements from a section of MPs and political allies for the coveted position.
Acting ODM party leader Oburu Oginga has also maintained that the party has a legitimate and strong claim to high-level representation in any coalition arrangement.
The battle for the running-mate position has already produced a potential contender from within ODM.
Wycliffe Oparanya has attracted endorsements from allied MPs and political leaders, particularly those seeking to position the veteran ODM politician for the second-highest office.
Oburu has also asserted that the party has a strong claim to senior representation in any future political arrangement.
The emerging Oparanya campaign could complicate Ruto’s calculations further.
The emerging contest has, however, exposed the delicate fault lines within the broad-based government.
Allies of Kindiki, particularly from Mt Kenya, have rejected ODM’s claim to the Deputy President position, arguing that the office should remain with the region.
The disagreement threatens to open a new front in the already fluid 2027 succession politics, with UDA allies expected to resist any arrangement that could see ODM take control of the second-highest office in the land.
Ruto caught between allies
President Ruto now faces a delicate balancing act as he seeks to consolidate the broad-based government ahead of the 2027 General Election.
On one side is ODM, which is demanding a concrete political return for its support, including half of government and the Deputy President slot.
On the other are Kenya Kwanza allies and regional political blocs that fear losing key positions in a negotiated power-sharing arrangement.
Political pundits contend that ODM’s hard line position could force Ruto to confront one of the biggest questions of his re-election campaign on how to accommodate the formerly powerful ODM within government without alienating the Kenya Kwanza coalition that delivered his 2022 victory.
