President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) on Saturday went to the polls, with over 300,000 candidates contesting across 20 counties in 12,000 polling stations.
The Head of State led his party from the front, casting his vote at Koilel Primary School in Ainabkoi, Uasin Gishu County, a new polling station for him after he moved his vote from Kosachei Primary School near his Sugoi home to there in 2022 when the elections body allowed Kenyans to transfer.
President Ruto drove himself to the polling station, accompanied by Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and cast his vote at around 9.20 am.
President William Ruto queues to vote at Koilel Primary School in Ainabkoi Constituency, Uasin Gishu County, during UDA’s grassroots elections on January 10, 2026.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation
Dr Ruto said the grassroots polls were the first step to strengthen the UDA and appealed to party supporters to take part in the elections, terming it as their democratic right.
“It is the right of every party member to participate in the elections and strengthen it as part of democratic governance,” said the Head of State.
He particularly asked the youth to get involved in party affairs, saying it was the surest way to ensure their voice is heard in national politics.
“A political party is important because it creates policies used to run the government. So it is really the parties that run government. Like for UDA, our bottom-up agenda was formulated from the bottom, in such party forums, and it is now national policy. So I want to ask the youth: Get involved. Throw yourself in these spaces, vie for these party seats and start the mobilisation early,” Dr Ruto said.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki with UDA’s Mbeere North candidate Leo Muthende, at a campaign rally at Kyenire Trading Centre in Embu County on November 22, 2025.
Photo credit: DPCS
After voting at Irunduni Primary school, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who is also UDA deputy party leader, said the exercise had been peaceful, adding that members had exercised their democratic rights.
“I am happy to witness internal party democracy at work at the grassroots. The exercise affirms Kenya’s democratic credentials and places the UDA party as first among equals and a pace setter on how to run a party through officials who have been chosen democratically by the party,” Prof Kindiki said.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwah.
Photo credit: Jared Nataya | NMG
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah marked the grassroots elections as a huge success.
"I hope IEBC is learning lessons from UDA in terms of electronic voting because you'll see when we close polling within a few minutes we will be able to run the programs and will be able to announce who are the winners for each category of the candidates who are there,” he said at Kikuyu Township Primary School, Kiambu county, after casting his vote.
He added: "We will be making sure that all our stations that opened late and where electronic gadgets came in late every voter will be allowed to vote, we will make sure time is extended so that we don’t lock out anybody."
Official party data as of Wednesday showed that 310,651 candidates have registered to contest various grassroots positions across 20 counties, far surpassing the 237,940 party offices available. The exercise was conducted in 12,000 polling centres countrywide.
An estimated three million UDA members were expected to turn out to vote, meaning each polling centre was on average to serve about 250 voters, underscoring the scale and organisational depth of the ruling party.
But some of the polling stations opened late, or saw low voter turnout in some areas.
The party was, by last evening, yet to give an update of its voter turnout.
President William Ruto queues to vote at Koilel Primary School in Ainabkoi Constituency, Uasin Gishu County, during UDA’s grassroots elections on January 10, 2026.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation
The Mt Kenya region counties, including Meru, emerged as the major focal point of the UDA grassroots exercise, posting the highest number of candidates and the most competitive contests.
Meru County recorded 35,343 candidates against a projected 21,000, placing it among the top counties nationally. Kiambu followed with 21,000 candidates, surpassing the projected 11,300.
Murang’a registered 20,880 candidates compared to an expected 11,900, while Nyandarua has recorded 18,665 candidates against a projected 8,100. Nyeri recorded 16,448 candidates, exceeding a projected 11,500. On its part, Kirinyaga has registered 14,000 aspirants against a projected 6,400, while Embu recorded 15,881 candidates compared to a projected 3,800.
UDA officials say these figures reflect deep-rooted party structures and intense grassroots mobilisation in the Mt Kenya bloc.
Nakuru County also emerged as a major point of interest for the ruling party's grassroots aspirants, registering 27,863 candidates against a projected 20,800, reinforcing its status as a strategic county within UDA’s Rift Valley base.
Laikipia County registered 2,958 candidates across 348 polling centres, with contests in 111 centres.
In Western Kenya, Kakamega County attracted 32,677 candidates against a projected 19,500, one of the highest tallies in the country. Vihiga registered 7,327 candidates, slightly above the projected 7,220.
A member of the public votes at Koilel Primary School in Ainabkoi Constituency, Uasin Gishu County, during the United Democratic Alliance Party's grassroots elections on January 10, 2026.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation
Trans Nzoia recorded 7,825 candidates against a projected 7,360, across 368 polling centres, with 289 contests.
Across the rest of the country, Bomet County registered 25,350 candidates against a projected 12,750.
Nandi recorded 15,220 candidates against an expected 13,640, spread across 682 polling centres, with 478 centres contested.
Uasin Gishu County posted 13,570 registered candidates against a projected 9,680, across 484 polling centres, with 477 centres seeing contests.
Kericho County registered 5,967 candidates across 599 polling centres, with 266 centres contested. Baringo County recorded 11,842 candidates across 975 polling centres, with 473 centres contested.
Samburu County posted 4,386 candidates across 309 polling centres, with 229 centres contested.
Elgeyo/Marakwet County registered 7,236 candidates across 492 polling centres, with 377 centres registering more than one candidate for various positions.
Overall, 223,425 candidates faced contests, while 80,038 are unopposed, reflecting both intense competition and strategic consolidation within the party.
With more than 310,000 candidates seeking UDA party office, millions of members voting, and thousands of polling centres operational, the elections on Saturday, UDA said, set a new benchmark for internal party democracy, firmly positioning the ruling party as the most grassroots-driven political entity in the country.
UDA national elections board’s chairman Anthony Mwaura. In Nairobi, only Roysambu Constituency and the 19 wards will have nominations on Wednesday.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
UDA National Elections Board Chairman Anthony Mwaura said, “There is a lot of interest in the party. We anticipate a fierce competition for party positions in both Mt Kenya and Rift Valley.”
At the polling centre level, the ruling party seeks to elect a total of 20 officials.
A document by the party titled ‘Grassroots Election Guide’ shows that at the polling centre level, party members will elect three representatives of religious groups, four representatives of traders, three representatives of professionals, four representatives of youth, a representative for Special Interest Groups, three individuals to represent farmers, as well as two party members – a woman and a man.
