•SG Malala highlighted that the ruling party is determined to conduct a free and fair grassroots election in all Counties.
•The elections will be conducted electronically across all 47 counties.
Image: PCS
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party has pushed its grassroots elections to later this month.
On Tuesday, after President William Ruto chaired a meeting of the National Steering Committee (NSC), sitting on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) it was agreed that the elections will be done in four phases.
In a statement by UDA Secretary General Cleopas Malala stated that the NSC was sitting to deliberate on the upcoming party grassroots election as well as the constitution of relevant party organs.
UDA's first phase will take place on April 26, 2024, in seven counties.
They include Nairobi, Narok, West-Pokot, Busia, Homabay, Isiolo and Garissa.
UDA will hold the second phase of its grassroots election on June 22, 2024, in 13 counties namely; Mombasa, Uasin Gishu, Nyandarua, Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Kisii, Bungoma, Siaya, Taita Taveta, Wajir, Tana River, Kwale and Marsabit.
For the third phase, the elections will be in the following 15 counties on August 10, 2024; Kiambu, Embu, Kericho, Meru, Migori, Kakamega, Nyamira, Kitui, Elgeyo Marakwet, Samburu, Kajiado, Mandera, Kilifi, Murang’a and Lamu.
The last phase will take place 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
It was also stated that the elections will be conducted electronically
SG Malala highlighted that the ruling party is determined to conduct a free and fair grassroots election in all counties.
Last September, UDA unveiled what its leadership calls a foolproof system that will see members vote electronically in the upcoming party elections.
The party's National Governing Council meeting held on September 29, 2023 ruled that the outfit resolved that the elections would be conducted on December 9, 2023, but was later postponed.
"That the UDA grassroots elections shall be conducted in the manner and form of a digital voting system in compliance and in accordance with the Constitution of the UDA Party and the attendant regulations," the party said in its resolutions.
The President's party was in a bid to shun the use of any manual voting during the high-stakes exercise that would lead to the election of national officials.
This would be the party's first-ever elections since its inception in 2021, yet the most consequential one as President Ruto lays the ground for his 2027 reelection bid.
The system is designed in such a manner that only registered UDA members will access the system and therefore participate in the elections.
The party members shall access the system through the https://app.uda.ke/grassroot/ which shall contain images of all contestants for various positions.
Members will also access the registration by dialling *509#, which is the Registrar of Political Parties code.
At the platform, members at the polling stations will first be asked to choose the level at which they intend to participate in the elections. There would be polling stations, ward, constituency and county levels.
There will then be names of various sectors that will be represented from farmers, professionals, traders, youth and women.
Those who intend to vie for polling station positions shall pay a non-refundable fee of Sh200 while those contesting at the ward and constituency levels shall part with Sh1,000 and Sh2,000 respectively.
UDA aspirants at the county level positions shall pay participation fees of Sh20,000 for the chairperson and vice chairperson, Sh10,000 for the secretary, deputy secretary, treasurer and organising secretary.
Other county positions shall cost Sh5,000 for aspirants.