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President William Ruto and UDA Party leaders when the Head of State hosted UDA grassroots leaders from Nyeri County at Sagana State Lodge, in Nyeri on January 17, 2026.
President William Ruto has begun laying the groundwork for his 2027 re-election campaign by convening two major meetings with United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leaders: one with all elected officials and another with aspiring party candidates.
The Special National Governing Council (NGC) is scheduled for Monday, January 26, while a separate meeting with 2027 UDA aspirants will be held on February 4, both at State House, Nairobi. The strategy aims to strengthen grassroots networks ahead of the next general election.
Polling centres
The NGC will bring together UDA governors, deputy governors, senators, National Assembly members, women representatives, EALA MPs, and county assembly members. Dr Ruto has also ordered repeat grassroots elections in selected polling centres across 42 counties to prevent disputes, targeting 20 officials per centre — about 600,000 grassroots officials nationwide.
According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the country has 27,397 registration centres. The Daily Nation has established that the President will meet the two groups before the repeat elections to ensure ownership of grassroots networks.
ODM Party leader Dr Oburu Oginga, President William Ruto and ODM Chairperson Gladys Wanga share a cake during ODM@20 celebrations at Sarova Whitesands in Mombasa on November 16, 2025
The meetings will also provide a platform for Dr Ruto to outline a proposed pre-election coalition agreement with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Both parties’ top organs have endorsed structured negotiations ahead of 2027.
These moves follow a series of meetings by the party’s top organs, including the National Steering Committee (NSC), chaired by the President. UDA has also launched a UDA Aspirants Forum, requiring aspirants to register ahead of the State House meeting.
“In preparation for the 2027 General Election, the NSC has resolved to establish a UDA Aspirants Forum in response to the high number of aspirants seeking elective positions. The party will open a portal for aspirant registration today,” UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar said.
He added: “The inaugural aspirants’ forum meeting will be held on February 4, 2026, at 8am at State House, Nairobi. We invite all aspirants intending to contest in the 2027 elections to register via the UDA portal starting today.”
On Tuesday, President William Ruto was briefed by the party’s National Elections Board (NEB) and the Electoral and Nomination Dispute Resolution Committee (ENDRC) on the recently concluded grassroots elections.
It was during the Tuesday night meeting that the President ordered repeat elections, following complaints from elected leaders that they had not been properly involved in the exercise.
President William Ruto hosts UDA grassroots leaders from Nyeri County at the Sagana State Lodge in Nyeri County.
“Following rulings from the ENDRC and the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC), the party will conduct repeat elections in select polling centres across 42 counties on March 7, 2026, for Phase III, and on March 28, 2026, for Phase II elections,” Mr Omar said.
The party has also opened registration for aspirants seeking various polling-centre-level positions. Party elections have previously been divisive and chaotic, leading many Kenyan parties to avoid internal polls, opting instead for consensus or the electoral college method.
UDA, however, has insisted on concluding its elections before convening the party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC), which is required before the party can formally enter a coalition with ODM.
UDA launched its ambitious grassroots elections in April 2024 but had to halt the process following nationwide Gen Z protests in June. The exercise was completed in only two counties — Busia and Homa Bay — out of the five initially scheduled in the first phase.
UDA National Chairperson Cecily Mbarire said President William Ruto will lead the National Governing Council (NGC) in reviewing the party’s scorecard three years after taking power, as well as ratifying coalition talks.
“The National Governing Council shall receive a scorecard on the progress of implementing the government manifesto, The Plan – Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA),” she said.
National Assembly Majority Leader and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah said discussions with ODM will focus largely on the 10-point agenda that led to the formation of the broad-based government. He expressed confidence that the Kenya Kwanza coalition will form the next government, citing development projects rolled out since UDA assumed power.
“We have invited our ODM colleagues under the broad-based government. We have maintained a good working arrangement with them and considered their resolutions through the National Steering Committee,” Mr Ichung’wah said.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot said the party plans to repeat grassroots elections in disputed areas to ensure wider participation.
“It is our goal to have an elected party official at each of the polling centres across the country. UDA is the only political party post-new constitution with elected officials in at least 41 of 47 counties. We aim to expand that number,” Mr Cheruiyot said, emphasising the importance of grassroots elections.
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