Raila dimisses those against new deal with Ruto, terms it a good idea

ODM leader Raila Odinga has told off those criticising his new pact with President William Ruto stressing that this is the only opportunity to have issues facing Kenyans addressed.

Raila said he is aware of all the issues facing Kenyans and that it has been well captured in the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between his party and the Kenya Kwanza.

According to Raila, the only way these can be addressed is when they work together with the government.

He cited the new health insurance fund (SHA) which has been a source of concern among many Kenyans and the high taxes especially on affordable housing saying it need to be fixed.

“We have said we do not want our people to continue suffering. You cannot have it addressed when you are outside,” he said during an event in Kiambu.

“You have to be inside and have your people there so that you can tell them this and this needs to be done.”

Reiterating the need to work together, the former premier asserted: “We cannot just sit around and see the country sink. We must work together to see if we can change it.”

He added that he will continue working with President Ruto until 2027 when Kenyans will have decided for themselves who they want to lead.

Ruto and Raila signed an agreement to work together on Friday, March 7, 2025, in an event held at KICC and witnessed by leaders from the two sides.

According to the MoU seen by the Star, the two leaders will first work towards full implementation of the NADCO report, where issues like the cost of living, youth unemployment and establishing a framework for the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule will be addressed.

Ruto and Raila acknowledged that while the Constitution of Kenya is clear on the rights of minorities and marginalised people in the country, not enough has been done almost 15 years later to uphold these rights by fully implementing the provisions of the Constitution.

“Kenya belongs to all persons regardless of their ethnicity, religion, generation, or geographic location. All Kenyans are equal, and all are entitled to an equitable budgetary resource allocation and opportunities in public appointments,” the MoU states.

Under the sixth agenda, the two leaders agreed to promote the right to peaceful assembly and protests under Article 37 and compensation for all pending claims of abuse and derogation of this right.

Under the ninth agenda, the two leaders agreed to stop wasting public resources and promote government efficiency.

On the fight against Corruption,  the MoU stated that Kenya needs to move from talk to action.

“We must move from the fight against corruption to winning the war against corruption,” the MoU states.