A section of Orange Democratic Movement, ODM, leaders has opened a fresh debate over the August 2027 presidential race, pushing for Cooperatives and MSMEs Development Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya to be picked as president William Ruto’s running mate should the party enter into a pre-election coalition with the United Democratic Alliance, UDA.
The leaders argue that ODM should seek a bigger stake in president Ruto’s re-election bid, including the Deputy President position, as part of negotiations for a broader political arrangement ahead of the next general election.
Led by ODM Secretary-General Catherine Omanyo, Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali and Khwisero MP Christopher Aseka, the leaders said the party should position itself to negotiate what they described as a “win-win” coalition with UDA.
Speaking in Cherangany during a meeting of ODM grassroots leaders from Trans Nzoia County, attended by senior party officials, the leaders said Oparanya was well placed to represent the party’s interests in negotiations with President Ruto’s camp.
They argued that ODM’s participation in the broad-based government had created an opportunity for the party to pursue a more structured political agreement ahead of 2027 rather than wait until after the elections to negotiate for positions and influence.
“The time has come for ODM to have a running mate in the spirit of the broad-based government,” the leaders said as they rallied support for Oparanya.
The push signals emerging discussions within sections of ODM over the party’s political direction ahead of 2027, particularly its relationship with president Ruto’s administration.
ODM and UDA remain separate political parties, although president Ruto brought several opposition figures into his cabinet following the formation of the broad-based government arrangement. Oparanya, a former Kakamega governor and former ODM deputy party leader, was among those appointed to the Cabinet.
Oparanya, speaking at the same event, indicated that ODM should prioritize securing a formal pre-election agreement this time around, arguing that negotiations conducted after elections had previously left the party with unfavourable political deals.
He said the party should use its political strength to negotiate clear terms before committing to any alliance ahead of the 2027 elections.
“This time, ODM will maximize its energy to have a pre-election deal, unlike in other elections when the party has ended up getting raw deals after elections,” Oparanya said.
The Cabinet Secretary also declared his readiness to represent ODM in any negotiations aimed at striking a political agreement with president Ruto ahead of the polls.
“I am ready to represent the ODM party in the negotiations that will see the party strike a deal with President Ruto for the 2027 elections,” he said.
The remarks add a new dimension to the evolving political realignments ahead of 2027, with attention increasingly turning to whether the cooperation between Ruto’s administration and ODM will develop into a formal electoral coalition.
However, neither ODM nor UDA has formally announced a coalition agreement for the 2027 presidential election, and no official decision has been made on president Ruto’s running mate.
Oparanya also weighed in on the country’s electoral process, urging Kenyans to have confidence in independent institutions responsible for managing elections.
He said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, IEBC, had demonstrated its ability to conduct credible elections, citing the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election as an example.
The proposal to have Oparanya deputize Ruto is, however, still being championed by a section of ODM leaders and would require broader political negotiations and formal endorsement by the parties involved before becoming part of any 2027 electoral arrangement.
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