• The party’s National Election Board chairman Antony Mwaura said the polls will be repeated in Nairobi, Narok, Busia and West Pokot.
• Mwaura cited floods in some of the counties, late arrival of the polls gadgets and theft or vandalism of the gadgets.
Image: UDA/X
President Wiliam Ruto’s UDA party will on Saturday repeat elections in 538 polling centres in four out of five counties where it conducted grassroots polls last Friday.
The party’s National Election Board chairman Antony Mwaura said the polls will be repeated in Nairobi, Narok, Busia and West Pokot.
“We will be repeating the elections because of various reasons,” Mwaura told the Star on Thursday.
He said the polls in the select centres either failed to take place or were disrupted during the first elections.
Mwaura cited floods in some of the counties, late arrival of the polls gadgets and theft or vandalism of the gadgets.
“We may not divulge much details at the moment, save to say the punishment on those responsible for these acts of hooliganism will be severe and deterrent,” the NEB chairman said.
In some areas, he said the polls officials switched off gadgets for unclear reasons while in other areas, there were no candidates at the time the first elections were conducted.
Consequently, no results were declared in the affected areas.
"Though largely pleased with the manner we conducted the polls, we have resolved that in the interest of justice and fairness, we hold repeat elections in the selected areas where voting did not take part entirely, or was not conclusive," he said.
The polling centres where repeat elections will be conducted are Busia-25 out of 536 polling centres, and West Pokot-385 out of 802 polling centres.
In Nairobi, the polls will be repeated in 50 out 378 polling centres, while in Narok the elections will be repeated in 78 out of 595 polling centres.
“We are certain that given the limited number of polling centres, we will be able to cover the areas,” Mwaura said.
Only Homa Bay county has been spared repeat election in the five counties where the polls were conducted in the first phase.
In some area, candidates and voters complained of various challenges, including their names missing from the register.
Mwaura, however, refuted claims their gadgets failed to operate in certain areas, saying all the equipment the party deployed operated optimally.
He said in areas where the elections were successful, the results were released within two minutes of the closure of the exercise.
The ruling party has scheduled to conduct the second phase of the elections in 14 counties on June 22, 2024.
The polls will be carried out in Mombasa, Uasin Gishu, Nyandarua, Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Kisii, Bungoma, Siaya and Taita Taveta.
Others are Isiolo, Wajir, Tana River, Kwale and Marsabit.
The third phase will be held on August 10 in 15 counties of Kiambu, Embu, Kericho, Meru, Migori and Kakamega.
Others are Nyamira, Kitui, Elgeyo Marakwet, Samburu, Kajiado, Mandera, Kilifi, Murang’a and Lamu.
The last phase will occur on August 24, 2024, in 12 counties.
The counties to participate are Nakuru, Bomet, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Nandi, Baringo, Turkana, Laikipia, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, Vihiga and Makueni.
The party expects to conclude the entire exercise, including repeat election if need be, and resolution of conflict, if any, by September.
In December, the party will hold its National Delegates Conference (NDC) to elect its national leaders, including the party leader.