The first demand is financial. ODM wants the government to release Ksh 12 billion it says is owed to the party before any negotiations take place. The message is clear, there will be no dialogue while the debt remains unpaid.
The second demand is political and arguably even more significant. ODM has insisted it will not accept anything less than the Deputy President slot in any proposed arrangement with UDA ahead of 2027.
That demand puts the party on a direct collision course with the current political reality. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki occupies the seat and now ODM is formally demanding it as the price of their support.
Ruto is being asked to promise a seat that is simultaneously being claimed by three different forces, all at the same time.
The demands from the Oburu faction come after ODM suspended coalition talks with UDA, ordered members to stop campaigning for Ruto and reaffirmed its intention to field its own presidential candidate in 2027.
Whether these conditions represent a genuine attempt to rebuild the relationship or a negotiating ceiling designed to make reunification impossible is a question only the coming weeks will answer.
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