Signed and sealed: Full list of key issues Ruto, Raila agreed to implement in MoU

President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga officially signed a working agreement aimed at tackling Kenya’s political and socio-economic issues.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) took place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Friday, March 7, before a large gathering of their supporters.

Below is what was in the actual document:

Memorandum of Understanding to Resolve the Social, Economic, And Political Challenges Facing Kenya (2025)

REALIZING that Kenya has gone through a long period of political crisis and conflict that has hampered the nation's potential for development and improving the livelihoods of our people;

Noting that such crises often lead to protests by the people demanding their rights, the state often brutally suppresses these demonstrations, unfortunately resulting in the loss of both lives and property.

ACKNOWLEDGING that the nation will not develop without reinforcing democratic governance and the rule of law;

CONSCIOUS that the decay in democratic governance is expressed through skewed allocation of resources, ethnic intolerance and marginalization, corruption, and

NOTING that devolution, though intended to strengthen democratic governance and development at the grassroots, is systematically undermined and starved of funds;

NOW THEREFORE;

His Excellency President Dr. William Samoei Ruto, CGH, and the Right. Honourable Raila Odinga, EGH, being the party leader of the largest political party in Kenya and bearing the greatest political responsibility, acknowledges the need to set a broad platform for collaboration and cooperation between all political forces and other stakeholders in a society in order to address these long-standing challenges that threaten our nationhood.

As a first step towards this collaboration, His Excellency President Dr William Samoei Ruto, CGH, and the Right Honourable Raila Odinga did set up the National Dialogue Committee in the year 2023 and hereby make this resolution on the initiatives that must be undertaken to instil further confidence in the country.

While this memorandum does not define the formation of a political coalition between the respective political parties, its successful implementation will inform the basis of steps toward the establishment of a progressive and stable country.

Now, therefore, the two leaders commit and resolve to collaborate and cooperate with each other by conducting broad-based consultations between themselves on the key issues identified below.

I. The full implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report.

Other Topics To Read

• Politics
• Headlines
• President William Ruto
• Raila Odinga
• KICC
• NADCO report
• nadco kenya
• NADCO
• National Dialogue Committee (NADCO)
• MoU
• handshake
• memorandum of understanding
• Signed and sealed: Full list of key issues Ruto
• Raila agreed to implement in MoU

Priority issues in the NADCO process—like the cost of living, youth unemployment, and establishing a framework for the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule—have been the topics of discussion for far too long and must be actualized now.

II. Inclusivity in all spheres of public life.

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.

Further, though the Constitution of Kenya is clear on the rights of minorities and marginalized people in the country, not enough has been done almost 15 years later to uphold these rights by fully implementing the provisions of the Constitution.

III. Protecting and strengthening devolution.

Devolution must continue to be protected from any possibility of clawback on devolved functions, and more effort must be put into devolving all funds allocated to a devolved function, increasing budgetary allocation to counties, and ensuring the timely and predictable disbursement of devolved funds.

IV. Promoting and protecting the livelihoods of young people

Urgent and massive investment must be made in all high-potential sectors of the economy, including mining, the 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 be initiated.

Young people must also be mainstreamed in all political spaces to bring their voices to the table and their participation to the centre of all activities.

V. Leadership and integrity

Kenyans are concerned by the expression of opulence accompanied by rude and arrogant conduct by public officers and the apparent impunity that has followed the same. It must be enforced that the demeanour of public servants needs to reflect the dignity of the office and the respect owed by them to the citizens of Kenya.