Wanga: ODM will push for 50/50 power pact talks with UDA

Orange Democratic Movement chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga at a past event / HANDOUT

Orange Democratic Movement chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has said the party will enter into pre-election pact negotiations with UDA as an equal partner, insisting on a 50/50 power-sharing framework.

Governor Wanga noted that discussions are yet to formally begin, with the party currently focused on preparations ahead of the May 27 deadline for submitting agreements to the Registrar of Political Parties.

She said that the process will begin with technical engagements before progressing to political negotiations to build consensus among partners.

“According to the pre-election pact that should be presented to the Registrar of Political Parties on May 27, we still have time. We shall prepare, and when the right time comes, we shall begin the talks. We shall start with the technical bit, then political, but what we know is that we shall talk and understand each other,” she said.

Wanga added that ODM’s position is to negotiate from a position of parity, rejecting any arrangement that places the party in a subordinate role.

She outlined a possible structure for such an agreement, suggesting that power-sharing could extend to the top leadership positions.

“As ODM, if we are entering into a negotiation, we shall do so like equal partners on a 50/50 basis. That is what we are thinking, and that is what we shall present on the table. When one party is fielding a presidential candidate, the other one fields the deputy president,” she stated.

Wanga's sentiments follow the April 23, when President William Ruto and ODM leader Oburu Oginga moved to steady their fragile political partnership, chairing a high-level meeting aimed at cooling rising tensions between UDA and ODM.

The meeting at State House resolved to establish a joint committee to address emerging issues threatening unity under the Broad-Based Government (BBG).

A joint statement said the committee will bring together selected Cabinet Secretaries, party leadership, and Majority and Minority leaders in Parliament to align government business.

The team will be tasked with coordinating and synchronising both legislative and executive agendas to ensure coherence, efficiency and effective service delivery.

“The two-party leaders agreed to establish a Broad-Based Management Committee comprising party leaders, selected Cabinet Ministers, and the Majority and Minority Leaders in Parliament,” the statement read.

ODM and UDA chairpersons Wanga and Cecil Mbarire were tasked with leading structured and regular consultations across party organs.

Fears that coalition talks had stalled were also dismissed, with Oburu insisting there were no negotiations to halt.

“There are no talks that have stalled between ODM and UDA. We cannot stop what has not started,” he said.