President Ruto Chairing a UDA NEC Meeting on January 14, 2026. Photo Courtesy. 
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party has directed the conduct of repeat grassroots elections in selected polling centres and reaffirmed its growing political partnership with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) as part of preparations for the 2027 General Election.
In a communiqué issued after a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Nairobi on Wednesday and chaired by Party Leader President William Ruto, the party said the directive follows a briefing by the National Elections Board (NEB) and the Electoral and Nomination Dispute Resolution Committee (ENDRC) on the recently concluded grassroots polls .
The grassroots elections, conducted on January 10, 2026, covered 20 counties and attracted a massive 492,439 candidates vying for 231,770 party positions across 17,953 polling centres. According to the NEC, about 2.4 million party members participated in the exercise, underscoring UDA’s expansive grassroots reach.
The outcomes reflected notable inclusivity, with women accounting for 44 per cent of those elected against 56 per cent men, while the youth made up 33 per cent of the successful candidates.
However, the NEC noted that elections did not take place in some polling centres or suffered from inadequate participation. As a result, the party directed the NEB to organise repeat elections within 30 days in all affected areas. Upon conclusion of the repeat polls, ward-level party elections will be conducted nationwide within another 30-day window. The NEB was also tasked with developing a clear calendar for member sensitisation and registration of aspirants.
In a structural shift aimed at strengthening party organisation at the grassroots, the NEC approved the establishment of Ward Executive Committees comprising seven members to be elected by Ward Congresses, which will draw delegates from polling station officials.
The ENDRC was further directed to expedite the resolution of all election-related disputes in line with the party constitution.
Beyond internal party affairs, the NEC extensively discussed the ongoing political partnership between UDA and ODM. The meeting noted key milestones, including the adoption of the 2024 National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) Report, the formation of a broad-based administration, and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on a 10-point agenda. The partnership has already borne electoral fruit, with UDA and ODM jointly winning all contested Senate and National Assembly seats in the November 2025 by-elections.
The NEC also acknowledged ODM’s decision to initiate structured negotiations with UDA within the Kenya Kwanza Coalition to formalise a coalition agreement ahead of 2027, mandating President Ruto to establish engagement mechanisms to advance the talks.
