Implementing 10-point agenda will benefit Kenya greatly

ODM leader Oburu Oginga addresses a rally at Kamukunji grounds, Kibera, Nairobi, on January 14, 2026. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

The conceptual basis of the historic agreement between the United Democratic Alliance and Orange Democratic Movement may have been primarily to midwife the broad-based government, but a panoramic view of the 10-point agenda invites us to a broad sense of national consciousness.

The 10-point agenda, which fortifies the broad-based government under President William Ruto, constitutes issues that transcend the immediate interests of UDA and ODM. Kenya’s future depends on how these issues are tackled.

For decades, Kenyans have complained about bad governance, runaway corruption, skewed distribution of resources, mismanagement of devolved funds by county governments, drug use and abuse, lack of inclusion, and the necessity of constitutionalism. Thus, there is an urgent need of fostering leadership and integrity and enhance youth’s livelihoods, among other governance issues, as mirrored in the 10-point agenda.

However, some politicians have blatant contempt for the 10-point agenda. Great leadership calls for exploratory foresight, consistent messaging, and visionary pointers to what a country must prioritise to depart from the humdrum of cheap politics.

The implementation of the 10-point agenda is turning the UDA-ODM MoU into a progressive charter of transformation. The war on corruption is firmly on course. President William Ruto signed the Conflict-of-Interest Bill into law in 2025 to bolster the anti-graft war.

This will enhance efforts of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Asset Recovery Agency, which continue to see billions of shillings in cash and worth of assets taken back to the government.

Several former high-ranking politicians are in court over corruption, and as the wheels of justice grind, it is clearer that a person who uses his office to improperly confer a benefit on himself will be punished. 

Direct action

The committee overseeing implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report and the 10-point agenda has in place an evaluation and reporting framework, with extensive stakeholders’ consultation ongoing.

The 10-point agenda issues are not just focused on the national level (to be dealt with by the national government); six of the items require direct action of county governments and other institutions, such as the anti-graft agency. We need to nurture the politics of shared responsibility. 

Time has demonstrated that the Constitution and its edicts cannot be left to inanimate devices for self-execution. Other auxiliary institutions and political actions are necessary for effective governance, including political parties, civil society organisations, the private sector, and ordinary citizens. 

Dr Ruto is a crusading change maker, whose clarity of thought and mindfulness point to intentional nationalism and consciousness, a determination to move the centre and leave nothing to chance. 

The 10-point agenda issues are focused on public interest and founded on the values of good governance. That alone hoists the flag of significance and urges everyone to support the MoU’s implementation. Further, inking the deal with the President constituted the late Raila Odinga’s final act of patriotism.

Kenyans should reject the politics of ethnic divisions and skewed narratives of regional isolationism. Wearing broader lenses of development governance, we should join hands and transform Kenya by implementing the 10-point agenda.

Mr Bigambo is a governance expert and vice chair of the Committee Overseeing Implementation of the Ten-Point agenda and NADCO report.