Ugenya MP David Ochieng has explained why the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) should form a pre-election coalition pact much earlier ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during an interview on Tuesday, January 27, 2025, the outspoken lawmaker argued that there is no need for the two parties to wait until April next year, when only a few months will be left until the General Election, to formalise a coalition. He said early engagement would allow for proper planning, organisation, and preparations for the 2027 polls.

“We don’t have to wait until April next year to start scampering. What’s going to make us win? ealier preparations are strategic. We know for sure in our country elections are held on the second Tuesday; we know the date, so we prepare for it.”

Ochieng noted that if the UDA party is serious about winning with a wider margin than in 2022, when President William Ruto won by about 200,000 votes, and if the president’s projection of a victory margin of over two million votes is to be realised, then early preparations must begin now.

He cited the 2022 General Election, where former President Uhuru Kenyatta only publicly declared his support for Raila Odinga a few months before the polls after two years of speculation, a move that Ochieng says weakened the Azimio coalition’s preparedness and effectiveness.

The Ugunja MP added that it is important for Kenyans to know potential political coalitions early enough to enable voters to make informed decisions based on clear political alignments and options.

He further noted that there are statutory timelines for coalition formation with the Registrar of Political Parties, which, according to him, makes it strategic and necessary for political parties to lock in alliances early.

Opposition to ODM-UDA Pact

This comes days after ODM’s Central Management Committee (CMC) tasked party leader Oburu Odinga to initiate structured talks with the UDA party on a possible pre-election coalition as part of the party’s preparations for 2027.

However, the move has sparked internal resistance within ODM. East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Winnie Odinga questioned the urgency of forming the pact, while Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga argued that the party should prioritise strengthening its internal structures before pursuing external political alliances.

ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi also opposed the move, stating that the party should instead focus on pushing for the implementation of its 10-point agenda rather than rushing into political formations.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino similarly criticised the idea, arguing that Raila Odinga, during his leadership of ODM, never sought coalitions from others but was instead approached by other parties seeking partnerships.