We’re not in any negotiations with Ruto’s gov’t, ODM says

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party says it is not negotiating for any coalition agreement or lobbying for appointments with President William Ruto’s government.

This is in the wake of reports that Ruto has offered the party leader Raila Odinga five Cabinet slots despite disagreement within the opposition Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition – which Odinga leads – over cooperating with the government.

The reports emerged following Odinga’s agreement to a national multi-sectoral dialogue forum Ruto proposed to address issues Kenyans have raised in the anti-government protests since last month.

In a statement on Tuesday, ODM's secretary-general Edwin Sifuna said all the party seeks is “a national conversation preceded by the creation of the necessary environment” by addressing the conditions Odinga gave on Sunday before taking on any dialogue forum.

“Some of our members have also fallen for the campaign of lies and misinterpreted our stance as a license to engage the Kenya Kwanza leadership and canvass for ministerial and/or other positions in the Ruto government,” said Sifuna.

“As a party, we wish to make it unequivocally clear that we are not in negotiations with the Ruto regime for any coalition or political arrangement.”

Odinga, in a letter to the Kenyan youth, said he would not engage in the national dialogue as “justice must come before talks.”

He pledged solidarity and said he won’t take part in the proposed talks until every victim of police brutality during the demos is compensated, all protest-related cases are dropped, and all abductees and those jailed are freed, among other conditions.

Sifuna further stated that any ODM member “who makes themselves available to join the Kenya Kwanza cabinet or any other position” will be doing so without ODM’s support.

Other Azimio-allied parties such as Wiper and Narc Kenya have given the national dialogue forum a wide berth on the grounds that it is motivated by selfish reasons and amounts to a betrayal of the Kenyan youth.