NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga will on Monday, August 18, jointly chair a rare parliamentary group meeting bringing together lawmakers from Kenya Kwanza and ODM, in the clearest sign yet of their political cooperation.
The session, to be held in Nairobi, will review the progress of the 10-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the two sides in March and seek to align joint policies aimed at fostering national unity.
Speaking Thursday in Migori, President Ruto said the meeting would set out “strong mechanisms to unite the country and push it forward.”
“We agreed to work together to create a country that is for every Kenyan and come up with policies that bring in more income to our nation,” he told grassroots leaders.
National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed confirmed the gathering, saying MPs will also deliberate on ways to support communities affected by recent protests.
The meeting will receive a progress report from a five-member technical committee tasked with overseeing the MoU’s implementation.
The team, chaired by former ODM Secretary-General Agnes Zani, includes Fatuma Ibrahim, Kevin Kiarie, Gabriel Oguda, and governance consultant Javas Bigambo.
A joint secretariat—co-led by executive secretaries from UDA and ODM—has been set up to back the committee’s work, which is being fully funded by both parties.
The committee has begun nationwide consultations with government agencies, independent commissions, civil society, religious bodies, and the private sector.
Ruto and Raila said the outreach aims to ensure the pact “addresses the needs and aspirations of all Kenyans” and incorporates “diverse perspectives.”
The committee will submit updates to the two principals every two months, with quarterly progress briefings to the joint parliamentary group.
The Kenya Kwanza–ODM political truce follows years of sharp rivalry between the two leaders, and comes as MPs from both camps push for constitutional amendments to entrench their cooperation.
