Oburu Oginga Trashes Reports That Coalition Talks With UDA Have Collapsed: “We’ve Not Formed Teams”
The clarification follows widespread speculation sparked by reports that ODM’s Central Management Committee had resolved to suspend negotiations with UDA after a lengthy closed-door meeting. The claims had fueled political debate, with observers interpreting the alleged move as a sign of deepening divisions between the opposition outfit and President William Ruto’s party.
However, speaking on Friday, April 17, Oburu sought to set the record straight, insisting that formal negotiations between the two parties have not even begun.
“I want to clarify that our meeting of yesterday, where my photograph has also appeared, and is saying that we have stopped our negotiations with UDA. We cannot stop what has not started. Our negotiations with UDA has not started. We have not even formed the negotiating teams and therefore there is no issue of putting a break to it,” he stated.
The senator emphasized that discussions circulating in the public domain are largely speculative, driven by individuals attempting to anticipate the possible direction of future engagements between the two political formations.
“The issues which are being discussed in public are just issues which people are thinking aloud. They want to maybe prod and know what might be discussed in those discussions,” Oburu added.
According to the veteran politician, ODM is currently engaged in internal preparations ahead of any formal engagement with UDA. He revealed that a technical team within the party is working on a structured agenda that will guide the anticipated talks.
“But those are agendas which are being prepared by our technical team. They are preparing a detailed agenda which will be made public soon and we are going to put those things in public. They are not going to be secrets of anybody and we are going to discuss them openly also. We are going to discuss with our partners openly and find a solution because these are issues which are to find a solution,” he explained.
Oburu further reiterated that ODM’s current focus remains on potential engagement with UDA, dismissing suggestions that the party is exploring parallel negotiations with other political outfits. He underscored that any meaningful talks would only commence once proper structures, including negotiating teams, are formally established.
At the same time, the senator addressed the contentious issue of zoning, which has emerged as a key topic in the ongoing political discourse. Zoning, often used as a strategy to allocate political positions among coalition partners, has sparked debate among party supporters and analysts.
Oburu made it clear that while ODM is open to strategic cooperation, it will not relinquish regions where it enjoys strong political support.
“This thing called zoning is just one of the tools of achieving what we want. We are not ready to cede those positions which we already have. We are not ready to cede them to any other parties. But with any other parties we are going to compete and we are going to compete as a party very fiercely with all those other parties,” he asserted.
The unfolding developments highlight the fluid nature of coalition politics in the country, where alliances are often shaped by strategic interests, negotiations, and shifting political dynamics. As ODM continues its internal preparations, attention now turns to whether formal talks with UDA will materialize—and what implications such a partnership could have on the broader political arena.
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Oburu Oginga Trashes Reports That Coalition Talks With UDA Have Collapsed: “We’ve Not Formed Teams”
