The battle over who will occupy the country’s second-highest office could become one of the biggest issues in the talks between ODM and President William Ruto’s political camp ahead of the 2027 General Election.
National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed has indicated that ODM will seek the Deputy President position as part of negotiations with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza, after the party resolved not to present its own presidential candidate in the next election.
Junet said ODM’s decision to work with Ruto’s administration under the broad-based government had opened the way for the parties to negotiate how they will approach the 2027 election and share responsibilities if they succeed.
“ODM is not fielding a presidential candidate in 2027. The next position in line is the deputy president, but we will sit down as parties who are working together under the broad-based, and we will agree on the best way to go about it,” Junet said on Tuesday.
The Suna East MP said the possible alliance was not a new idea, revealing that ODM and Kenya Kwanza leaders had already discussed the matter at a meeting held in Naivasha.
“Among the things we agreed on in Naivasha was that UDA and Kenya Kwanza would form a coalition with ODM for the 2027 elections,” he said.
According to Junet, the parties are already working together politically and within government, but have yet to put in place a formal legal agreement that would bind them during the next election.
He said the current arrangement gives the parties room to discuss a broader political partnership as they prepare for the 2027 contest.
“We want to be on the same side in the coming election. Now we don’t have any legal provision that puts us together. We have some relationships, working and political relationships, under the broad based,” he said.
The proposed sharing of the Deputy President position could, however, put current holder Kithure Kindiki at the centre of the negotiations.
Junet said ODM would not make a unilateral claim to the position, noting that Kindiki also commands political support and would have to be considered when the coalition partners sit down to agree on the leadership structure.
“Kindiki also has his own numbers and value. We will sit down and agree. He is happy to keep the DP seat or cede it, depending on the situation,” he said.
The remarks leave open the possibility of Kindiki retaining his position if the coalition partners agree that his political value and support base make him the preferred candidate. At the same time, ODM’s decision to put the seat on the table could set the stage for difficult negotiations over the coalition’s top positions.
Junet also defended the party’s decision to cooperate with Kenya Kwanza, saying ODM’s participation in government should not be viewed as a departure from its political purpose.
“All political parties are formed to capture political power. There is no political party that has been formed to do NGO work,” he said.
The minority leader dismissed concerns from sections of ODM supporters who have opposed the party’s cooperation with the government, insisting that the party had not abandoned the principles on which it was established.
“ODM is still the same, and it still stands for the values that it was founded on,” he said.
Junet further presented ODM as a party with a national reach and enough political numbers to command a strong position in any coalition negotiations.
“ODM is the biggest political party in Kenya and a truly national party. We bring a lot of quality and numbers to the table. There is no party that can be compared to ODM today,” he said.
He also referred to Ruto’s past political links with ODM, arguing that the two sides have moved closer on a number of policy issues. Junet singled out universal health coverage as an area where he believes their positions are now more closely aligned.
With ODM ruling out a separate presidential campaign, attention is now shifting to what the party will demand in return for joining a possible 2027 alliance. The Deputy President position could become a major test of the strength of the partnership, particularly if ODM, UDA and other Kenya Kwanza parties move from their current working relationship to a formal electoral coalition.