Oburu Odinga, leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), has vowed to lead tough negotiations with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ahead of the 2027 General Election, insisting that ODM must secure a fair deal and "cannot be given peanuts." He emphasized ODM's strength, rooted in its grassroots support, as a crucial factor in upcoming talks.

• Oburu Odinga declared that ODM, as the largest party in the country, demands its "fair share" in any political arrangement with UDA.
• The negotiations follow a mandate given by UDA's National Executive Committee (NEC) to President William Ruto on January 14 to initiate structured talks with ODM.
• ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi recently accused UDA of attempting a "hostile takeover" of ODM structures in Western Kenya.

Over 2,000 Kirinyaga County youths will benefit from a new Sh15 million skills and empowerment program, the Tupange Kesho Program, launched by Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina. This initiative aims to economically empower young people and reduce unemployment.

• Sh10 million has been disbursed to youth groups, with individual groups receiving between Sh100,000 and Sh300,000.
• An additional Sh5.85 million will sponsor 500 youths for full enrolment in TVET institutions through the INNET Programme, in partnership with Equity Bank.
• The program, implemented through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), targets youths across all 20 wards in Kirinyaga County.

President William Ruto outlined his 2027 political strategy at a meeting in Nyeri, emphasizing the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party's focus on collaboration with other parties to build a strong and inclusive political force. He highlighted the importance of national unity, a "bigger cake" for equitable resource sharing, and forming robust national political parties to sustain Kenya's development.

• Over 17,000 UDA grassroots leaders from Nyeri County attended the meeting at Sagana State Lodge.
• The UDA has elected 580,000 polling centre officials nationwide, with 2.4 million members participating in last week’s grassroots elections.
• The government has allocated Sh4 billion for road construction in Nyeri County, with Mau Mau roads now 60 to 70 percent complete.