UDA to hold repeat Phase III grassroots elections in 18 counties

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The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) will on Saturday, March 14, 2026, conduct repeat Phase III grassroots elections in 18 counties as part of efforts to strengthen the party’s structures and consolidate membership nationwide.

The exercise is aimed at building a strong network of local leaders accountable to party members and reinforcing UDA’s national presence.

Speaking at a media briefing on Friday, UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar Hassan said the elections are part of the party’s broader strategy to entrench democracy within its structures.

“You do realize as a party that we have been under the process of strengthening this party because we want to ensure that we entrench it within our membership to make it a national party that is formidable,” the SG said.

The elections will take place in Kiambu, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Nyandarua, Embu, Meru, Samburu, Trans-Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nandi, Baringo, Laikipia, Kericho, Bomet, and Vihiga counties. Voting is scheduled to run from 8:00am to 5:00pm across 8,819 polling centres, with about eight million voters expected to participate.

UDA National Elections Board chair Anthony Mwaura said over 500,000 candidates have registered to contest 20 positions at the polling centre level, representing women, youth, professionals, farmers, religious leaders, traders, and other special interest groups.

“On Saturday (tomorrow) as you are aware, we are having elections in 18 counties around the country and the exercise will start at 8am and end at 5pm,” Mr Mwaura said.

To ensure transparency and efficiency, Mr Mwaura said the party has deployed approximately 9,000 electronic voting tablets across polling centres, with results to be published on a public portal on the UDA website.

The exercise is expected to produce about 150,000 elected grassroots officials who will form the foundation of UDA’s local leadership structures.

According to the SG, the elections are not only about filling positions but also about strengthening the party’s organisational capacity and ensuring that leaders have a direct mandate from the people.

“We tend to believe that our elections will be very free, verifiable, and without any violence,” he said.

The repeat Phase III grassroots elections form part of a broader internal process that will culminate in a National Delegates Conference later this year, where newly elected grassroots leaders will be consolidated into UDA’s national leadership framework.

The SG said the exercise demonstrates the party’s commitment to democracy, discipline, and inclusive political participation.