By Jabali Media
President William Ruto and ODM party leader Raila Odinga on Friday signed a cooperation agreement, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Nairobi, came on the backdrop of Odinga having held a series of meetings with ODM luminaries and members in various parts of the country, in what was christened consultation forums.
Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has already trashed the Mou, terming it nothing but betrayal to Kenyans.
However, Homabay governor Gladys Wanga who doubles up as ODM national chairperson, is among those who have expressed unwavering support for the Ruto, Raila reunion.
We delve into what is inside the much-publicized agreement:
1. Full implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report
Ruto and Raila agreed to prioritise issues in the NADCO report, like the high cost of living, youth unemployment, and establishing a framework for the implementation of the two thirds gender rule.
2: Inclusivity in all spheres of public life
According to the president and the former prime minister, 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.
They hold the view that though the constitution of Kenya is clear on the rights of minorities and the marginalized people in the country, not enough has been done almost fifteen years later to uphold these rights by fully implementing the provisions of the constitution.
3. Protecting and strengthening devolution
Devolution, they say, must continue to be protected from any possibility of claw back on devolved functions, and more effort must be put at devolving all funds allocated to a devolved function, increasing budgetary allocation to counties and ensuring the timely and predictable disbursement of devolved funds.
4. Promoting and protecting the livelihoods of young people
They insist that urgent and massive investment must be made in all high potential sectors of the economy, including mining, blue economy, agriculture, and ICT to create sufficient employment opportunities that provide ways for young people to earn a decent living nationwide economic stimulus programs must therefore be initiated.
Young people must also be mainstreamed in all political spaces to bring their voices to the table and their participation to the center of all activities.
5. Leadership and integrity
In the MoU, Ruto and Odinga state that Kenyans are concerned by the expression of opulence accompanied by rude and arrogant conduct of public officers and the apparent impunity that has followed the same.
It must be enforced that the demeanor of public servants needs to reflect the dignity of their offices and the respect owed by them to the citizens of the republic of Kenya.
We must also urgently provide a legal and institutional framework for addressing conflict of interest among public servants.
6. The right to peaceful assembly and protest under article 37 and compensation of all pending claims of abuse and derogation of this rights
The two leaders say that derogation of the rights of a peaceful assembly and process remains one of the most shameful realities of the excesses of Kenya's law and order responses since independence.
The effort to uphold this right must now involve not just the taking of responsibility by officers who break the law, but also by compensation of the victims of these derogations. An amnesty must be granted to all those who are charged for offenses based on the exercise of their right to peaceful assembly.
The National Police Service must update their methods and processes of dealing with demonstrations and assemblies when they are held and particularly when they have to be managed or contained.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during signing of the MoU. Photo/Courtesy
7. The national debt
The urgent audit must be conducted of how much has been borrowed in the past and how it has been used. Going forward, we must stop the ballooning of the national debt and ensure accountability for future borrowing.
Lastly, we must ensure that that borrowed money is used in all manners that grants an equitable benefit to all Kenyans in every region of all the countries since payments are made by all from taxes regardless of their locations.
8. The fight against corruption
They say that Kenya needs to move from talk to action. We must move from the right, fight against corruption to winning the war against corruption.
We must enhance the capacity of institutions that enforce accountability and particularly the offices of the auditor general, the controller of budget, and the ethics and anti-corruption commission.
9. Stopping wastage of public resources and promoting government efficiency
A new ethos of public expenditure in both national and county governments must be inculcated in a manner that promotes austerity, justification, and effectiveness in the use of public resources.
10. Protecting and promoting the sovereignty of the people, the rule of law, and constitutionalism
The rule of law requires that the government and its officers obey court orders and only challenge the validity of judicial pronouncements through legal processes.
The spectra of abductions and extrajudicial killings do not bode well for democracy. Suppression of constitutional freedoms, including speech, expression, assembly, and media must stop.
Furthermore, political parties being key pillars of democratic participation must be strengthened. The two leaders resolve to respect the identity and integrity of all political parties and to ensure respect and implementation of the provisions of the political party’s act.