The intricate, behind-the-scenes mechanics of Kenya’s political truce were laid bare over the weekend as President William Ruto disclosed that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, now under the leadership of Dr. Oburu Oginga, had actively negotiated and presented a detailed inventory of ministries it expected to secure within the framework of the 2025 broad-based government agreement.

Speaking at the ODM Founders’ Dinner in Mombasa on Saturday night, President Ruto offered an unprecedented glimpse into the private negotiations that culminated in the historic pact between the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition and the official opposition. His revelation confirmed what had long been suspected in political circles: the broad-based government arrangement was less about abstract national unity and more about a carefully calibrated formula for executive power-sharing.

The Head of State singled out Dr. Oburu Oginga, the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s elder brother and successor as ODM leader, as the principal architect of the party’s negotiating position.

“It was Oburu Odinga who came and told me, ‘This is the list of the ministries we are thinking about,’ and it was a fairly long list,” the President recounted to the gathered party faithful and national officials. He added that the list articulated ODM’s “expectations and negotiating position” as the two political factions sought to establish a lasting framework for shared governance.

President Ruto emphasized the critical role Oburu played in all substantive discussions leading up to the pact, noting that the late Raila Odinga had consistently mandated that any major consultations about the broad-based government must involve his brother.

The President described Oburu not just as Odinga’s relative, but his primary “brother, friend, and confidant,” underscoring the weight carried by the newly appointed ODM leader in the high-stakes political negotiations.

The revelation provides essential context to the political turmoil that gripped the nation in the preceding year. The broad-based government agreement, formally signed in March 2025, was itself a direct response to a period of intense political instability.

This period began in mid-2024 when widespread protests, primarily fuelled by public anger over contentious tax laws, forced President Ruto to dismiss his inaugural Cabinet in July 2024. This dramatic cabinet dissolution paved the way for the entry of a section of ODM members into the executive branch, marking the initial move towards cooperation.

The subsequent March 2025 agreement then cemented this power-sharing structure, effectively neutralizing the formal opposition and altering the fundamental dynamic of Kenyan politics until at least the next general election in 2027.

The “fairly long list” of ministries mentioned by the President suggests that ODM secured not merely symbolic posts but was keen on obtaining substantial control over key government machinery, including portfolios that manage critical national resources and social services.

While the specific ministries listed by Oburu Oginga were not disclosed, the President’s comment confirms that the cooperation deal was built on a foundation of tangible executive positions, a move that critics have viewed as a dangerous blurring of the democratic lines between government accountability and opposition oversight.

Addressing the new ODM leader directly, President Ruto extended his support and goodwill to Dr. Oburu Oginga for accepting the immense responsibility of steering the party following the untimely passing of his brother, Raila Odinga, in October 2025.

“This great party has given you the honour to steer its affairs. We can only wish you well. We can only wish you Godspeed,” Ruto stated, acknowledging the decisive moment for the party and the nation.

More significantly, the President issued a challenge to Oburu, urging him to become the custodian of the late Premier’s expansive political heritage. Ruto described the former Prime Minister as a symbol of resilience and national vision, insisting that his legacy must endure.

“My hope and wish is that you will not let him down, that you will stand for what he stood for, match his vision, and work for this party the same way your brother and leader did,” the President implored.

This public challenge, issued at an event dedicated to the party’s founders, places a significant burden on Dr. Oginga to reconcile his new role as a partner in the ruling administration with the historical, often anti-establishment, ethos of the ODM party.

The revelations come at a time of visible strain within the Orange Democratic Movement, with reports of internal rifts and disagreement over the party’s strategic direction ahead of the 2027 polls.

The admission that the broad-based government was negotiated with a concrete list of ministerial demands is likely to further complicate the narrative, both for ODM members who feel marginalized by the arrangement and for the remaining opposition figures who continue to compare President Ruto’s leadership to a “Pharaoh” and urge him to heed the public’s grievances.

The full weight of the broad-based government is now clearly understood to be a grand political bargain involving a strategic exchange of executive power for political stability. Dr. Oburu Oginga’s role in the negotiations cements his position not only as the new head of the ODM movement but also as a central player in the architecture of Kenya’s unprecedented, shared administration.

His ability to navigate the delicate balance between upholding his brother’s legacy and cooperating with a former political adversary will define his tenure and, ultimately, the future of the nation’s political landscape.