President William Ruto has signalled the possibility of a future political arrangement between the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Speaking in Migori County on Wednesday, December 17, he stated that ODM needed to consolidate its internal structures and leadership so that it could engage UDA from a position of strength.
Ruto noted that such preparedness would allow both parties to meet and agree on the future direction of the country’s leadership.
“You have to make plans yourself and strengthen your ODM party. We want a strong ODM so that we can plan together the leadership of this country. If you make your party strong, I will also make the UDA party strong, and we can then proceed to agree on how we will form the government,” he stated.
The president also paid tribute to the ODM leader, acknowledging his immense role in shaping his own journey to becoming the country’s fifth president.
“I was an ODM member, but God had His plans, and I took a different path. Raila was our teacher of politics. I was the top student in Raila’s class, and he contributed a lot to my becoming president of Kenya,” he said.
He also extended an invitation to his rivals to join him in his quest to unite the nation.
“I also want to ask our friends from across to join us in the journey to move the nation forward,” he added.
His remarks come amid claims from a section of opposition politicians that he has been at the forefront of torpedoing the Orange party ahead of the next polls.
The claims were made by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who accused Ruto of attempting to rock the party from within and finish it off completely.
“Ruto has destroyed ODM, and we are very saddened. He told me that he would finish ODM while I was serving as his deputy,” he said.
