Women leaders from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in Kericho County have pledged to join hands in promoting development, peace and unity, saying political cooperation should be used to create a stable environment for government programmes to improve the lives of wananchi.
The leaders made the commitment when UDA Kericho County Women Brigade Chairperson Emily Chepkemoi led a delegation of women to pay a courtesy call on ODM Kericho County Chairperson Ann Chepkwony at the ODM party office, in a meeting that brought together women representatives from the two political parties drawn from the county’s sub counties.
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the two groups, supporting the broad based government and mobilizing residents to participate peacefully in the country’s democratic processes ahead of the 2027 General Election. The leaders said their cooperation was also intended to ensure that development gains and Government programmes continue to receive support at the grassroots.
Chepkwony said the meeting was an opportunity for ODM and UDA women to come together, interact and chart a common path on how they could work jointly to promote peace and development in Kericho County.
She said ODM in Kericho had embraced the broad based government and would continue supporting the government’s development agenda, noting that the cooperation between the two political parties had created an opportunity for leaders to work together on issues affecting the people.
Chepkwony said the women supported development programmes being implemented by the Government and would continue engaging communities at the grassroots to ensure residents understood and benefited from available opportunities and services.
“We have had the pleasure of receiving women from UDA who have come for a courtesy call at the ODM party office. They have come so that we can interact and chart our way forward together as we continue supporting the broad based government. We also want to call for peace during this election campaign period because our country can only develop when we remain united and peaceful,” said Chepkwony.
She urged political leaders and their supporters to reject violence, heckling and disruption of political meetings, saying the youth should be allowed to participate in political activities without being used to cause disorder.
Chepkwony said political competition should not be allowed to interfere with the implementation of development projects, adding that a peaceful environment was necessary for the Government to deliver services and for communities to benefit from investments in sectors such as housing, health, roads and other infrastructure.
She called on young Kenyans who have attained the required age but do not have national identity cards to acquire the documents and register as voters, saying the youth had an important role to play in shaping the country’s future through peaceful and responsible participation in the democratic process.
The ODM leader said every eligible Kenyan should take the necessary steps to obtain identification documents and register as a voter, noting that voter registration would enable young people to exercise their constitutional right to elect leaders of their choice.
On her part, Chepkemoi said UDA women in Kericho welcomed the cooperation between ODM and UDA under the broad based government, saying unity among political leaders was important in creating an environment conducive to development.
She urged Kenyans to come together and support initiatives that promote peace and national cohesion, saying political leaders had a responsibility to ensure that disagreements did not degenerate into confrontations that could undermine the country’s social and economic progress.
Chepkemoi said women from the two parties would work together to promote peace across Kericho County and planned to begin peace initiatives in Kipkelion West before extending them to other parts of the county.
She said the initiative would provide an opportunity for women leaders to engage communities on the importance of peaceful political participation and encourage young people to conduct their meetings responsibly as the country approaches the 2027 General Election.
Chepkemoi also highlighted several Government programmes that she said were making a difference in the lives of residents, citing affordable housing, improvements to the road network and the Social Health Authority (SHA) among initiatives that women in the county were supporting.
She said the ongoing affordable housing programme had given some residents an opportunity to access decent homes, while improvements to the road network were opening up communities’ networks and making it easier for people to access markets, health facilities and other essential services.
On health, Chepkemoi said the implementation of SHA had provided relief to some residents who had previously struggled to meet the cost of medical treatment, noting that some women had benefited from the scheme after undergoing major surgical procedures.
“We are the eyes and champions of the President’s development agenda in the county. There are affordable housing projects ongoing, and we are thankful that some of our members have already benefited and are ready to move into their houses. On SHA, some women have successfully received treatment after undergoing head surgery, with their hospital bills settled through the scheme. We welcome our sisters from ODM to join hands with us and champion what the President has started,” said Chepkemoi.
The Government has continued to position SHA as a key pillar of its Universal Health Coverage agenda. According to the Ministry of Health, more than 31 million Kenyans had registered under SHA by June 2026, while the authority had paid billions of shillings in claims and contracted thousands of health facilities to provide services. The Ministry has also continued expanding the scheme and strengthening its implementation to improve access to healthcare.
The women leaders said the development agenda could only be sustained in an environment of peace and political stability, calling on communities to protect development projects and participate in initiatives that improve livelihoods.
Chepkemoi also expressed hope that President William Ruto would visit the South Rift region, saying women leaders in Kericho were prepared to mobilize communities to support the Government’s development programmes and to highlight the impact of ongoing projects in the county.
The meeting brought together women representatives from ODM and UDA from across Kericho County, with representatives drawn from the various sub counties. The leaders said they would continue working together to strengthen peace, support development and encourage young people to obtain national identity cards and register as voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The meeting comes at a time when the Government’s development agenda continues to place emphasis on expanding access to decent housing, strengthening healthcare and improving infrastructure, with national programmes such as the Affordable Housing Programme and SHA being implemented as part of broader efforts to improve living standards and expand access to essential services.
By Gilbert Mutai
