Ruto sets stage for 2027 re-election bid with UDA meetings

By Newsflash Writer

President William Ruto has kicked off early preparations for his 2027 re-election campaign by convening two high-level meetings with leaders of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), targeting both elected officials and aspiring candidates.

The first meeting, a Special National Governing Council (NGC) sitting, is slated for Monday, January 26, while a separate forum bringing together UDA aspirants eyeing the 2027 polls will take place on February 4. Both meetings will be hosted at State House, Nairobi, and are intended to consolidate party structures and energise grassroots networks ahead of the next general election.

Grassroots focus

The NGC meeting will draw together UDA governors and their deputies, senators, members of the National Assembly, women representatives, East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MPs and members of county assemblies. President Ruto has also directed that repeat grassroots elections be conducted in selected polling centres across 42 counties to avert disputes, with each centre expected to elect about 20 officials — translating to roughly 600,000 grassroots leaders nationwide.

IEBC data shows Kenya has 27,397 registration centres. Sources indicate the President plans to meet both elected leaders and aspirants ahead of the repeat polls to ensure stronger ownership of party grassroots networks.

The meetings will also give Dr Ruto an opportunity to outline a proposed pre-election coalition framework with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), after both parties’ top organs endorsed structured talks ahead of 2027.

Coalition talks

These developments follow a series of consultations by UDA’s senior organs, including the National Steering Committee (NSC) chaired by the President. The party has also rolled out a UDA Aspirants Forum, requiring hopefuls to formally register ahead of the February 4 meeting.

UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar said the NSC resolved to establish the forum in response to the growing number of aspirants seeking elective seats. “The party will open a portal for aspirant registration today,” Mr Omar said, adding that the inaugural forum will be held at State House at 8am on February 4, 2026.

On Tuesday night, President Ruto received briefings from the party’s National Elections Board (NEB) and the Electoral and Nomination Dispute Resolution Committee (ENDRC) on the recently concluded grassroots polls. It was during that meeting that he ordered repeat elections following complaints from elected leaders over inadequate involvement.

Reviewing record and expanding structures

Following ENDRC rulings and a decision by the National Executive Committee (NEC), UDA will conduct repeat elections in select polling centres across 42 counties on March 7, 2026, for Phase III, and March 28, 2026, for Phase II, Mr Omar said.

UDA insists on completing its internal elections before convening the National Delegates Conference (NDC), a prerequisite for formally entering a coalition with ODM. The party’s grassroots elections, launched in April 2024, were disrupted by nationwide Gen Z protests in June and completed only in Busia and Homa Bay during the first phase.

UDA National Chairperson Cecily Mbarire said President Ruto will lead the NGC in reviewing the party’s performance three years into government and ratifying coalition talks. National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah noted that discussions with ODM will largely centre on the 10-point agenda that underpins the broad-based government.

Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot said repeat grassroots elections will ensure broader participation, stressing the party’s aim to have elected officials at every polling centre nationwide.