NAIVASHA, Kenya – President William Ruto and ODM leader Oburu Oginga are this weekend expected to lead a joint Parliamentary Group meeting bringing together lawmakers allied to the broad-based government, as the coalition seeks to harmonise its legislative agenda and strengthen parliamentary cohesion.
Members of the National Assembly and senators from parties backing the broad-based administration will begin checking into a Naivasha hotel on Sunday evening, with the two-day retreat climaxing on Monday when President Ruto and the ODM boss join the team.
An internal memo from National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohammed to members dated August 4 confirms the meeting.
“This is to inform all members of the Broad-Based Parliamentary Group that a meeting has been scheduled to take place in Naivasha, Nakuru county from 10th to 11th August, 2026,” the memo reads.
Legislative priorities and coalition agenda
Sources familiar with the plan said the retreat will, among others, outline the coalition’s legislative priorities and rally MPs behind key government programmes.
“We are primarily putting our focus on harmonising the legislative agenda in both the National Assembly and the Senate as Parliament prepares to tackle a raft of government Bills and policy proposals,” a source said.
“We want to strike a common position on priority legislation and that members move in one direction.”
Committee leadership changes expected
Besides the legislative agenda, the Naivasha retreat is also expected to discuss the performance of parliamentary committees, with sources indicating that changes to committee leadership could be announced.
“Some committee chairs are struggling to spearhead some of the key government programmes under them, we shall also look into that,” the source added.
The anticipated reshuffle is expected to affect several committee chairpersons and vice-chairpersons as the coalition seeks to align parliamentary leadership with the evolving political realities under the broad-based arrangement.
Although officials remained tight-lipped on the proposed changes, multiple sources said consultations have been ongoing among coalition leaders ahead of the retreat.
Inter-party affairs on agenda
In a more telling signal, Junet’s memo indicated the meeting will also discuss inter-party and coalition affairs during the retreat.
“Parliamentary business and inter-party/coalition affairs will form part of the meeting agenda. A detailed programme and agenda will be circulated separately,” Junet said.
“We look forward to your active participation and valuable contribution to the success of the meeting.”
The PG is expected to provide an opportunity for President Ruto and Oburu to reaffirm their commitment to the broad-based government and present a united front as Parliament resumes sittings.
The discussions are also expected to assess lessons from the recent Ol-Kalou contest and explore strategies for strengthening the coalition’s political and parliamentary machinery.
