United Democratic Alliance Hails Digital Nominations, Signals Confidence Ahead of By-Elections and 2027 Race

United Democratic Alliance Hails Digital Nominations, Signals Confidence Ahead of By-Elections and 2027 Race

Hassan Omar Hassan, Secretary General of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), addresses the media alongside victorious nomination aspirants at the party headquarters today after the conclusion of the party nominations

By Jeff Oyugi.

Nairobi - March 31, 2026

Senior leaders of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) have praised the party’s internal nomination process as transparent and credible after unveiling candidates for upcoming by-elections, while also using the occasion to defend the Kenya Kwanza administration’s record and signal early confidence ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during the presentation of nomination certificates to successful candidates at the party headquarters in Nairobi, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan congratulated the party’s National Elections Board led by chairperson Anthony Mwaura for what he described as a consistently reliable nominations process that has strengthened the party’s electoral performance across the country.

“On behalf of the party leader, the chairperson and the entire UDA leadership, I want to sincerely congratulate the National Elections Board. They have done this party proud,” Hassan said.

He pointed to recent by-election victories as evidence of the party’s growing strength, noting that UDA had previously won all available National Assembly seats in a previous round of contests and continued to perform strongly in subsequent ward-level elections.

“The last time we won seven out of seven National Assembly seats. In February we secured all the MCA seats that were available, and this time we are confident again,” he said, expressing optimism that the party’s latest nominees would maintain the trend.

Hassan said the close margins recorded in several nomination contests demonstrated both competitiveness within the party and strong grassroots participation. In some wards, he noted, candidates won by fewer than 300 votes, while turnout reached as high as 70 percent in certain areas.

According to him, the strong turnout reflected growing confidence among party members in the credibility of UDA’s internal electoral processes.

He urged aspirants who lost in the nominations to accept the outcome and rally behind the winners, saying internal unity would be critical to securing victory in the upcoming contests.

“In Kenya we must build a culture where people concede elections with integrity and honour. Anger should be expressed through the ballot, not through social media,” he said.

The secretary general also encouraged young supporters to remain engaged constructively in political processes rather than resorting to online criticism following nomination outcomes.

At the same time, Hassan expressed confidence that the Kenya Kwanza administration’s development agenda would strengthen the party’s chances in the next general election.

“Based on our performance and our capacity, there is no reason to doubt our prospects as we head toward 2027,” he said.

During his remarks, Hassan defended government infrastructure financing strategies, including initiatives aimed at mobilising domestic resources to support development projects, arguing that the current administration had adopted innovative approaches to reduce reliance on external borrowing.

He also criticised former president Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing him of attempting to undermine the current government and interfere in political processes despite leaving office.

Hassan claimed the former administration had centralised economic opportunities and weakened key sectors, while contrasting that record with what he described as a more inclusive governance approach under President William Ruto.

“We now have a government that has a clear plan and the capacity to implement it. Kenyans should assess leadership based on performance,” he said.

However, his remarks also highlighted the increasingly sharp political contestation between the ruling coalition and sections of the opposition as early alignments for the 2027 race begin to take shape.

Meanwhile, Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago echoed the secretary general’s sentiments, praising the party’s adoption of electronic voting technology during nominations and describing it as a major milestone in strengthening internal democracy.

Mandago said UDA had become the first political party in the country to successfully implement electronic voting in its primaries, significantly improving transparency and reducing disputes.

“The landmark improvement in these nominations is the electronic voting process. It ensures that the candidates who emerge are truly the candidates of the people,” he said.

He noted that the system had been progressively refined since its introduction and now allowed for faster identification of voters through digital verification, reducing the likelihood of errors and manipulation.

Mandago said the party’s continued investment in technology positioned it as a regional leader in political innovation.

“As a party, we are setting standards not just in Kenya but across the continent. Other political parties can learn from what we are doing,” he said.

The senator also urged newly nominated candidates to remain faithful to the party’s manifesto once elected, emphasising that legislators elected on a party ticket have a responsibility to support its policy agenda in Parliament.

“When you run on a party platform, you are duty-bound to support the policies captured in that manifesto. That is the commitment you make to voters,” he said.

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) aspirants display their nomination certificates after being officially cleared at the party headquarters, marking a key milestone ahead of the upcoming electoral contest.

He cited government programmes in housing, universal health coverage, food security and business reforms as examples of key pledges that UDA leaders must help implement through legislation.

Mandago further called on candidates to work closely with their former competitors after the nominations, saying unity would be essential in securing victory during the by-elections.

“In political contests you will always have opponents, but once the nominations are over we must come together as one team,” he said.

He also expressed optimism that Kenya could eventually adopt fully remote digital voting in the future if current technological advances continue, describing the country as capable of leading electoral innovation across Africa.

UDA leaders said the party would now shift focus to preparing its candidates for the upcoming contests, expressing confidence that the strong turnout witnessed during nominations would translate into support at the ballot in the next phase of the electoral cycle.