KISUMU, Kenya, Sep 5 — Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has revealed that the ruling UDA-led coalition is working on a new broad-based coalition framework and joint manifesto that will anchor President William Ruto’s bid for re-election in the August 2027 General Election.
Mudavadi said a committee bringing together representatives of UDA and ODM is being constituted to craft the new framework, which he said will set out the coalition’s agenda for the five years following the 2027 election.
“We are putting pen on paper to have a new coalition framework that will drive our agenda for the next five years after August 2027, and President Ruto will be our candidate for the new framework,” Mudavadi said.
He spoke at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu during a consultative engagement with more than 100 UDA aspirants from Kakamega and Vihiga counties.
Mudavadi said strengthening UDA’s grassroots presence was critical to ensuring the party commands sufficient numbers to give Ruto a stronger negotiating position within the new coalition.
“You cannot have a leader of a coalition in a broad-based framework then you weaken his party,” he warned.
He said the strength of Ruto’s party would determine his ability to exercise influence within the coalition and advance his legislative agenda if re-elected.
Mudavadi cited the experience of former President Mwai Kibaki during the Grand Coalition Government, arguing that Kibaki’s limited political strength within the coalition made it difficult for him to drive his legislative agenda through Parliament.
“We don’t want this to happen to our candidate President Ruto when he wins,” he said.
UDA told to build numbers
Mudavadi urged UDA aspirants to expand the party’s support base across the country, saying the party’s numbers would ultimately determine its bargaining power in the new coalition arrangement.
He said the emerging framework would define areas of responsibility between UDA and ODM, warning UDA members that ODM had made clear its ambition to regain political power.
“ODM has insisted it wants power and UDA must work hard to retain the power it commands now,” Mudavadi said.
He said political numbers would be a key measure of bargaining power within the coalition.
Mudavadi also stressed the importance of securing enough parliamentary and county assembly seats to strengthen Ruto’s political position after the 2027 election.
He cited Article 138(4) of the Constitution, which requires a presidential candidate to secure more than half of all votes cast and at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in more than half of the counties.
Aspirants warned to work for nominations
Mudavadi challenged UDA aspirants to strengthen their grassroots campaigns ahead of party nominations, saying competition for the tickets would be intense.
Although he said UDA would provide free and fair nominations, he urged aspirants not to rely solely on the party machinery.
“Aspirants must activate their own machinery since the UDA party has a very strong opinion poll mechanism which is highly accurate,” he said.
“If you sit back and relax, how will your radar be activated? Make sure the UDA radar captures you.”
He said aspirants would have to simultaneously work for their own nominations and Ruto’s re-election.
Continuity
The Prime Cabinet Secretary also urged Western Kenya voters to back Ruto for a second term, linking continued support to completion of development projects in the region.
He said the administration had begun an agenda extending beyond Vision 2030 and argued that a second Ruto term would provide continuity for projects already initiated.
“If we want continuity of this legacy and agenda where we ensure completion of our projects as a region then we have no choice but to grant him a second term,” Mudavadi said.
He also criticised the opposition for what he described as a lack of clear ideas and policies, while maintaining that UDA intends to field candidates from the presidency to the county assembly level in 2027.
Mudavadi said the emerging coalition would ultimately be shaped by the strength each party brings to the negotiating table, making the mobilisation of voters and winning of seats central to UDA’s preparations for 2027.
