UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan addresses the media on the party’s performance in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election and preparations for the 2027 General Election in Nairobi on July 17, 2026.
NAIROBI, July 17, 2026 — The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has accepted defeat in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, saying the outcome offers important lessons for the party as it prepares for the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during a press conference in Nairobi, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan said the party respected the democratic choice of Ol Kalou voters and would use the outcome to strengthen its national political strategy ahead of the next electoral contest.
“This time, we did not emerge victorious, but it shows you that there is a shifting architecture of national politics that former strongholds have become battlegrounds and former battlegrounds have become strongholds. That is the reality of politics,” he said.
Hassan congratulated the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for conducting the by-election, saying the electoral agency had allowed the will of the people to prevail.
He also thanked UDA supporters, campaign managers and leaders who participated in the campaigns, including National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria and Head of Creative Economy and Special Projects at State House Dennis Itumbi, for what he described as a committed and spirited campaign.
The Secretary General said the party had previously accepted both victories and defeats in different by-elections, noting that its coalition partners had won in Magarini, Kasipul and Ugunja, while UDA had secured victories in Isiolo and Mandera.
“The same IEBC granted us victories. They rejected us in some by-elections, and our coalition brothers and sisters in Magarini, Kasipul and Ugunja won with distinction. We also won in Isiolo and Mandera,” he said.
He said the Ol Kalou outcome demonstrated that Kenya’s political landscape was changing, with traditional political strongholds increasingly becoming competitive.
Hassan said the party would continue to support President William Ruto’s re-election bid, expressing confidence that the Government’s development agenda and inclusive approach would attract support across the country.
He said UDA had invested substantially in the Ol Kalou by-election because it regarded every part of the country as politically important, adding that the party would continue investing in its structures and campaigns nationwide.
“The people of Ol Kalou have spoken, and we respect their democratic choice to elect the leader they desired. We equally respect their freedom to determine the future path of their politics,” he said.
Hassan said President Ruto had recognised the support he received from the Mount Kenya region in the 2022 General Election and had continued to invest in the region through appointments and development projects.
He, however, maintained that the Government’s development agenda was not limited to regions that supported it politically, saying all Kenyans were entitled to fair treatment and development.
“The President has made it clear that, even as we prepare for 2027, we do not serve only those who vote for us. We serve all Kenyans fairly under the solemn oath of office to govern with fairness, equity and justice,” he said.
Hassan also commended security agencies for ensuring that the by-election ended without major incidents and urged political leaders to accept electoral outcomes in the interest of national unity.
He said UDA would now move on from the Ol Kalou defeat and focus on the 2027 General Election, when the party plans to field candidates across the country.
“Elections are political contestations. They happen, they end, and the nation must move on as one united, indivisible country,” he said.
Hassan urged UDA members to remain resilient and committed, saying the party would continue strengthening its national presence and preparing for the next electoral contest.
UDA now have to go back to the drawing board. Ground is shifting.