NAIROBI, Kenya — President William Ruto’s pre-election cooperation pact with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is facing renewed political pressure as implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) Report gains traction, exposing rifts within Kenya Kwanza and raising questions about the durability of the UDA–ODM understanding ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The Committee on Implementation of the Ten-Point Agenda and the NADCO Report (COIN-10) on Wednesday defended the pace of its work, assuring the public that it will complete the nationwide engagement stage within set timelines.
In its statement following a three-day stock-taking retreat, the committee said it is committed to delivering on the political accord signed between President Ruto and the late ODM leader Raila Odinga in late 2023.
“The Committee on Implementation of the Ten-Point Agenda and the NADCO Report (COIN-10) has assured Kenyans that it will finalise public engagement to address the issues raised within the scheduled time,” the committee said, signaling the strongest push yet toward operationalising the agreement.
But even as the implementation mechanism presents a picture of progress, political tensions are rising around the three-year-old pact that brought the country back from the brink after the 2023 post-election standoff.
Gachagua: “Ruto never intended to implement NADCO.”
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has revived political friction between UDA and ODM, alleging that President Ruto has no intention of implementing the NADCO report — a claim that strikes at the heart of the cooperation agreement ahead of 2027.
Speaking at ODM headquarters during celebrations of newly elected DCP leaders on December 3, Gachagua sharply criticised new ODM party leader Oburu Oginga and warned that the party was being misled.
“Niliskia Oburu akisema anaongojea Ruto a-implement 10-point agenda. Alishaniambia hakuna mahali hii kitu inaenda,” Gachagua said. “Tell William Ruto, if he is serious and he wants to implement NADCO, he should do so fast, just like he removed me from office.”
He challenged ODM to push for rapid action, arguing that if the President genuinely supports the process, he should mobilise funds and direct MPs and senators to fast-track the proposals — just as he allegedly moved swiftly to engineer Gachagua’s removal from the deputy presidency.
Gachagua dismissed the 10-point agenda entirely, claiming its implementation “will never materialise,” and accused the President of using ODM for political convenience. He argued that ODM, once a formidable opposition force, has weakened, and predicted the party would face further erosion if it continued working closely with the President.
While Gachagua’s remarks may be coloured by his contentious exit from office, political analysts say his claims tap into a longstanding public concern: whether NADCO’s proposals — including electoral reforms, cost-of-living measures, and strengthening of independent institutions — will meaningfully move forward.
Political commentator Samuel Owida warned that NADCO may become “another report gathering dust,” pointing to Kenya’s long history of shelved reform documents.
“Is the NADCO report the first one in the country? I guess it is not,” Owida said. “I believe President Ruto, who is a political tactician, is using the report to buy time as he plots for his re-election.”
The NADCO report remains central to the UDA–ODM pact, widely seen as a stabilising deal that helped ease political tensions and paved the way for their cooperation in the run-up to 2027.
Full implementation is expected to lay the groundwork for electoral reforms, restructured revenue-sharing, and clarity on political party funding — issues that directly affect both parties.
With ODM’s new leadership under Oburu Oginga insisting on implementation, and Gachagua lobbying to spoil the alliance, the coming months will test whether the Ruto–ODM partnership is durable or merely tactical.
For now, the committee’s assurances signal institutional momentum — but the political will behind the process remains contested, leaving the future of the NADCO pact and the broader UDA–ODM alliance hanging in the balance.
