UDA to Hold Repeat Phase II Grassroots Elections in 18 Counties
UDA Chairperson Cecily Mutitu Mbarire address the media in Nairobi on April 22, 2026, during a briefing announcing the Repeat Phase II grassroots elections across 18 counties scheduled for Thursday 23rd.
Nairobi, Kenya — April 22, 2026: The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) will conduct its Repeat Phase II grassroots elections across 18 counties on Thursday, as part of efforts to strengthen internal democracy and expand participation in party structures.
Speaking during a media briefing, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan said the repeat exercise is intended to provide a second opportunity for candidates and members who were unable to participate or did not meet the required threshold in the initial Phase II elections held last year.
“The whole idea of this repeat is to give an opportunity to those who did not meet the threshold and those who might have been left out of the process to have a second chance,” he said.
Omar described UDA as a “cutting-edge party” that has consistently conducted free and fair internal elections, noting that the majority of candidates who emerged from previous party processes were successfully elected into public office.
“From those free and fair election processes, the party has been able to produce the best candidates, and we have had very few appeals or contests on the outcomes,” he added.
He emphasized that the ongoing grassroots elections are central to building strong party institutions, revealing that upon completion of the repeat exercise, UDA will have elected approximately 580,000 grassroots leaders nationwide.
“It is part of the democratic process of party building to build an institution that produces leaders who can advance the party’s ideals and manifesto,” Omar said.
UDA Chairperson and Embu Governor Cecily Mutitu Mbarire outlined the scope of the exercise, stating that the elections will be held in counties across Nyanza, Western, Eastern, Coast and Northern Kenya regions.
“These elections will take place in 18 counties, with Kajiado County scheduled separately,” she said.
According to Mbarire, over 450,000 candidates have registered to vie for 20 grassroots positions at polling centres, representing diverse groups including youth, women, professionals, farmers, religious leaders and small-scale traders.
“Approximately eight million voters are expected to participate in tomorrow’s exercise across more than 9,000 polling centres,” she said.
She added that the party has already conducted grassroots elections in 25 counties, successfully electing more than 235,000 officials.
To ensure efficiency and transparency, Mbarire said the party will deploy technology-driven systems, including electronic voting tablets at polling centres, with results to be published on a public portal.
“Voting will commence at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m., and the exercise is expected to produce over 182,000 grassroots officials with a direct mandate from members,” she noted.
The UDA chairperson urged members to maintain peace and avoid any form of electoral violence during the exercise.
“We ask our members to maintain peace throughout the process. Previous elections have largely been peaceful, and we expect the same spirit to prevail,” she said.
On political developments, Mbarire confirmed that consultations are ongoing within coalition structures regarding pre-election agreements, noting that a formal position will be communicated once discussions are concluded.
“Any issues emerging within the coalition will be addressed through the appropriate party structures, and a clear position will be communicated in due course,” she said.
She also disclosed that the party intends to field a candidate in an upcoming parliamentary by-election, following a meeting with aspirants and the deputy party leader, Kithure Kindiki.
“We have agreed to ensure free and fair party nominations, and the party will sponsor a candidate for the parliamentary seat,” she said.
Meanwhile, party officials called on young people to register as voters and collect their national identification cards, noting that many remain uncollected at registration offices.
The Repeat Phase II grassroots elections are part of UDA’s broader strategy to entrench democratic practices within the party and strengthen its grassroots base ahead of future political contests.
