UDA, ODM brace for fierce grassroots party elections ahead of 2027 polls
Holding a party position is widely seen as an advantage for those eyeing political seats in 2027, as it increases their chances of securing a party ticket.
A fierce political contest is brewing as the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) prepare for their grassroots elections next week.
The elections are expected to shape political alignments ahead of the 2027 General Election, with both parties seeking to strengthen their internal structures and consolidate support at the constituency level.
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The two leading parties have set the stage for a major showdown as they seek to bolster their grassroots networks.
ODM, led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has already deployed returning officers to all the 290 constituencies and presiding officers to oversee the ward-level elections scheduled for Monday and Wednesday.
President William Ruto’s UDA has also set plans in motion, with training for election officials beginning Monday ahead of the exercise on Friday and Saturday.
UDA National Elections Board Chairperson Antony Mwaura confirmed that the party would deploy 15,000 election tablets across 17 counties to facilitate the process.
“Our training for election officials will run from Monday through to Thursday, and we assure aspirants of a free and credible exercise,” Mwaura told the Nation on Wednesday.
The UDA elections will take place in Kitui, Machakos, Makueni, Kajiado, Turkana, Kisii, Nyamira, Bungoma, Migori, Siaya and Kisumu counties on April 11. The exercise will then proceed to Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, Isiolo and Taita Taveta on April 12.
On the ODM side, National Elections Coordinating Committee Chairperson Emily Awita noted that the party had put all necessary measures in place to ensure a credible process.
“The Monday election will be conducted at the sub-branch level, which is the ward. Only delegates elected at the polling unit level will be eligible to participate. Those elected at the ward level will proceed to the branch (constituency) level on Wednesday, April 9,” Awita said.
“We are very ready for the exercise. It is all systems go, and we expect the elections to run smoothly. We have appointed and posted returning officers to all the 290 constituencies as well as presiding officers to all the wards to ensure smooth running of the exercise.”
The upcoming constituency elections are shaping up to be a decisive contest, as the results will influence the election of national party officials.
Both sitting leaders and aspiring candidates for the 2027 elections are keen to control the party’s grassroots structures, given their significance in securing party nominations.
All constituency chairpersons automatically become members of the national delegates convention (NDC), the supreme party organ responsible for determining policy and electing national officials.
Several MPs currently serving as constituency chairpersons are expected to defend their positions or support allies to maintain their influence.
Some of the sitting MPs also hold county branch chairperson positions, including Makadara MP George Aladwa (Nairobi), who will be keen on ensuring favourable constituency-level elections to secure his seat at the county level.
Holding a party position is widely seen as an advantage for those eyeing political seats in 2027, as it increases their chances of securing a party ticket.
For ODM, the elections form part of Odinga’s broader plan to fortify the party’s structures in preparation for the upcoming national polls.
During ODM’s polling station-level elections in November, members elected 30 officials per station, comprising 10 from the Mainstream, 10 from the Youth League, and 10 from the Women’s League.
The party follows a four-tier delegate structure, with representatives drawn from polling stations, wards, constituencies, and counties.
ODM seeks to elect 77 officials at both the sub-branch and branch levels under four committees: Mainstream, Women’s League, Youth League, and Disability League. The positions include chairperson, deputy chairperson, secretary, deputy secretary, treasurer, deputy treasurer, organizing secretary, and deputy organising secretary.
Other slots include secretary for women, secretary for youth, secretary for disability, a special interest group representative and eight committee members.
The elections will be conducted through consensus or voting by a show of hands. Aggrieved members will have 12 hours after the results are declared to file complaints, with appeal fees set at Sh15,000 for sub-county elections and Sh30,000 for county-level disputes.
Party elections in Kenya have often been marred by disputes and chaos, leading many political outfits to either avoid them or opt for consensus. ODM and UDA’s grassroots elections will test their ability to conduct credible and peaceful internal polls.
UDA has faced delays in concluding its grassroots elections following a directive from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties in August, which required the party to complete the exercise within 180 days. The deadline has since lapsed.
The ruling party began its grassroots elections in April 2024 but was forced to suspend the process after the Gen Z protests in June.
Initially, UDA had planned to conduct the elections in Nairobi, Narok, Busia, West Pokot, and Homa Bay, but only managed to complete the process in Busia and Homa Bay before halting the exercise.
The elections in West Pokot were postponed over security concerns, while those in Nairobi and Narok were put on hold due to petitions challenging their credibility.
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