Oburu Odinga Demands Equitable Power Sharing in Any 2027 Deal With UDA

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has set a firm condition for any pre-coalition talks with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party as political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking on Sunday, January 18, in Kakamega County during the ODM grassroots mobilisation tour dubbed Linda Ground, party leader Oburu Odinga said ODM would only engage in negotiations that recognise its strength and guarantee power sharing.

Oburu stated that the ODM was the largest party in the country. Therefore, any coalition negotiations about 2027 must include a clear framework for equitable power sharing.

"I want to assure you that with your support, as we continue to negotiate with others, we will make sure that odm, being the largest party in kenya gets his fair share of the government. The broad-based arrangement is just a small thing. We want fair representation in government come 2027. We want to share power. We want to share power," Oburu insisted.

He further described the current broad-based political arrangement as temporary,insisting that ODM's long-term focus is securing fair representation in government after the next election cycle.

His statements were supported by Suna East member of parliament Junet Mohamed, insisting that ODM has been in the opposition for too long, and it was now time for the party to be part of the coming government. He noted that the party must be respected in any discussions, stating that the party is not a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).

"The ODM party is not an NGO to push for people's rights. It was formed with the intention of capturing power. If you wan to form an ngo, go and form your party. The last opposition leader was the late Raila Odinga,. Others going forward will be in government," Junet stated.

Apart from the power-sharing demands, Junet also warned the ruling UDA party to keep off ODM zones, noting ODM areas would not be interfered with by any party. Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi had earlier stated this stance.

By insisting it was the largest party and deserved a fair share of government,ODM is positioning itself as a dominant negotiating force rather than a junior partner.The move now complicates UDA's coalition strategy, limiting its room to dictate terms and raising the stakes of pre-election talks.

Earlier in October 2025, Oburu had signalled that for the party to enter into any negotiation for a possible coalition, ODM would not accept any position lower than the deputy president position.