Kenya’s ruling and main opposition parties have reached an agreement allowing both sides to participate in key government policy-making, a move critics argue weakens opposition oversight.
Kenyan President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga formalized the agreement on Friday while their supporters marched in Nairobi. Odinga, leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), clarified that the deal was not about forming a new political alliance but aimed at fostering national unity.
Ruto, who leads the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), praised Odinga’s history of making tough political choices for the country’s benefit. He stated that Kenyan leaders had often prioritized politically convenient decisions over those truly beneficial to the people.
However, the agreement has drawn criticism from some quarters. Political analyst Nanjala Nyabola questioned the existence of an opposition in parliament, while Wiper Democratic Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka described the pact as a betrayal of Kenyans.
This marks the fourth time Odinga, a veteran opposition figure who has contested five presidential elections without success, has entered into an agreement with a sitting president. Both leaders denied that the deal was meant to distribute government positions, instead presenting it as a mechanism for dialogue on national issues.
Odinga emphasized that the arrangement would reduce political tensions and acknowledged that the opposition could not limit itself to mere criticism. “We commit to hold regular consultations on pressing issues,” he stated.
The Kenyan opposition has faced scrutiny for its silence amid rising taxes and a government crackdown on anti-government protests in mid-2024. Odinga’s political trajectory also became uncertain after he lost his bid for the African Union chairpersonship in February 2024 to Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.