Ruto: Broad-based deal with Raila helped unite Kenyans

President William Ruto mingles with residents in Kwale/PCS

President William Ruto has reiterated his defence of the broad-based partnership with the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Speaking during a rally in Kwale County on Saturday, Ruto maintained that the partnership was aimed at fostering national unity and ensuring all Kenyans feel included in government and development.

 He added that the arrangement has helped unite Kenyans and reduce political divisions.

“I agreed with Raila Odinga that we should unite Kenyans and form a broad-based government that brings all Kenyans together so that we can eliminate tribalism, hatred, and discrimination,” the President said.

Ruto urged Kenyans not to allow themselves to be divided along ethnic or political lines, emphasising that unity remains critical to the country’s development and stability.

According to the President, political competition should not translate into hostility or exclusion among communities.

The President reiterated that development projects and government services would continue to be distributed fairly across the country without discrimination.

He said the broad-based arrangement had created an opportunity for leaders from different political backgrounds to work together under one administration for the benefit of the country.

“All of us, people from UDA and ODM, today we stand together as one in one government, in one country, so that we work together,” Ruto said.

Ruto also appealed to Kenyans to embrace peaceful coexistence and reject attempts to revive ethnic tensions for political gain.

He maintained that the country’s progress depends on leaders and citizens working together despite political differences.

During the rally, the President also assured residents that coastal counties would continue benefiting from government projects aimed at improving infrastructure, healthcare, and economic opportunities.

In an earlier statement, Ruto emphasised the need for the country to move away from what he termed outdated and retrogressive politics of marginalisation, which he argued had slowed development in parts of the country.

“The outdated and retrogressive politics of marginalisation that derailed development in parts of our country, including the Coast region, have no place in today’s Kenya,” he said.

He noted that his administration is working to bring together leaders from different political formations under the Broad-Based Government framework to strengthen national cohesion and inclusivity.

Ruto further said the arrangement is intended to eradicate tribalism, political intolerance, divisive politics, and discrimination, while rallying citizens behind a unified national transformation agenda.

He emphasised that Kenya’s development agenda can only succeed if citizens and leaders work together across political and ethnic lines, warning against attempts to revive divisions that undermine progress.