President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the ruling UDA Party work with the ODM party.
In the agreement, two leaders agreed on the full implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO)Report that will see issues like the cost of living, youth unemployment, establishing a framework for the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule actualized.
Ruto and Raila also agreed to enhance inclusivity among Kenyans regardless of their religion and political affiliations.
“Kenya belongs to all persons regardless of their ethnicity, religion or geographic location, all Kenyans are equal and all entitled to an equitable budgetary resource allocation and public appointments,” the MoU stated.
The two leaders also agreed to address the promotion and protection of youths’ lives by empowering sectors such as technology, blue economy, manufacturing, and mining to create employment opportunities.
President Ruto and Raila Odinga.
In the MoU, Ruto, and Raila agreed to protect and strengthen devolution in the country by ensuring all funds allocated to devolved functions are fully disbursed, increasing budgetary allocations to counties, and guaranteeing the timely and predictable release of devolved funds.
The duo also agreed that the expression of opulence and rudeness by public officers must come to an end.
“Kenyans are concerned by the expression of opulence accompanied by rude and arrogant conduct of public officers. And the impunity that has followed the same. It must be enforced that the demeanor of public servants needs to reflect the dignity of their offices. We must also urgently provide a legal framework for addressing conflict of interest among public servants,” the memorandum stated.
Further Raila and Ruto submitted to end corruption in the country and stop wastage of public resources, particularly by leaders within the government.
Another issue was for the National Police Service (NPS) to uphold Kenyans’ right to protest and adopt updated methods for handling demonstrators exercising their Constitutional rights.
Regarding the national debt, Raila and Ruto agreed on the urgent need for an audit to determine the total amount borrowed in the past and how it has been utilized.
Additionally, the two agreed on protecting the sovereignty of the people, the rule of law, and constitutionalism.
