The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has issued its strongest warning yet to President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), declaring that the party will not offer any electoral support in the 2027 general election unless the government fully implements the ten-point agenda agreed upon during post-election talks last year.
The tough stance was delivered Tuesday evening by ODM deputy party leader and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, who told journalists in Nairobi that Kenyans, and especially ODM supporters, are tired of endless sweet-talk with no results.
“Tumechoka kubembeleza na kubembelezwana,” Senator Osotsi said, using the now-viral phrase that has dominated WhatsApp groups and TikTok comment sections since morning.
“If UDA thinks ODM will automatically campaign for them in 2027 simply because some of our leaders are in government, they are making a very big mistake. The ten-point agenda was not a suggestion. It was a condition for peace and cooperation.”
The ten-point agenda, signed in September 2024 between ODM and Kenya Kwanza representatives, includes lowering the cost of living, auditing public debt, ending extrajudicial killings, implementing the two-thirds gender rule, and establishing the Office of the Leader of Opposition, among others. ODM claims only two items, the creation of the Office of the Chief Administrative Secretary and limited cabinet positions for opposition figures, have been honoured so far.
Speaking after chairing the party’s National Executive Council meeting at Chungwa House, Osotsi revealed that grassroots members are increasingly angry that ODM leaders appear to have abandoned the struggle for ordinary Kenyans.
“Our people in Kisumu, Mombasa, Siaya, and Homa Bay are asking why maize flour is still getting back 200 shillings, why university students are being shot, and why hospitals have no drugs. We cannot keep explaining forever,” he said.
The senator’s statement marks the first time a senior ODM official has publicly tied future electoral cooperation to tangible delivery, effectively putting party leader Raila Odinga’s allies inside the government on notice. While Raila himself has remained diplomatic in recent weeks, sources inside ODM say the former prime minister privately supports the hard-line position and wants visible progress before the party’s national delegates convention scheduled for February 2026.
Inside UDA circles, the warning has triggered quiet panic. A senior official at Hustler House, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that many in the ruling party assumed ODM’s participation in government automatically translated into 2027 votes from the Nyanza and Coast regions. “We now realise it was never a blanket deal. They want results, not just seats at the table,” the official said.
Political analyst Professor Macharia Munene told bana.co.ke that Osotsi’s declaration is a calculated move to reclaim ODM’s bargaining power. “The party risked being swallowed completely. By drawing this red line now, they are reminding Kenyans that ODM still has an identity separate from Kenya Kwanza,” he explained.
As 2025 draws to a close, pressure is mounting on both sides. ODM insists the government has exactly twelve months to show serious movement on at least six of the ten points, while State House sources say President Ruto is planning a major announcement on cost-of-living measures during the Jamhuri Day celebrations next week.
For millions of voters watching this political marriage of convenience, one thing is clear: the honeymoon is officially over, and 2027 alliances will be earned, not assumed.