UDA sets February 21 as registration deadline for grassroot polls

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has set February 21 as the registration deadline for its repeat grassroots elections across 42 counties.

It said this as it moves to strengthen its structures at the local level.

In a notice to members, the ruling party urged interested aspirants to apply for available positions at their respective polling centres.

The repeat exercise is part of UDA’s efforts to streamline its grassroots leadership and address gaps that emerged during the initial elections.

“To find open positions in your Polling Center, the party asked members use the link https://app.uda.ke/grassroot/open-positions,” the party said in a statement.

The grassroots elections are expected to fill various positions at the polling centre level, which form the foundation of the party’s leadership hierarchy.

These structures play a crucial role in mobilising support, coordinating party activities and shaping decision-making from the lowest unit upwards.

UDA emphasised that registration for polling centre positions will not attract any charges, in what appears to be a strategy to encourage broad participation among members.

“Registration fee for polling centre level is free of charge,” it said.

The party had announced repeat grassroots elections in select polling centres across 42 counties following a review of reports from its internal electoral organs.

Secretary general Hassan Omar said the decision was reached during a National Steering Committee (NSC) meeting held on Tuesday, January 20.

The meeting was chaired by the party leader, President William Ruto.

The NSC considered reports from the National Elections Board (NEB) and the Electoral and Nomination Dispute Resolution Committee (ENDRC) on the recently concluded grassroots elections, which were conducted in three phases.

Phase II took place in June last year, while Phase III was held in January. The elections covered 42 counties.

Following rulings by the ENDRC and a resolution by NEC, the party resolved to conduct repeat elections in selected polling centres.

The repeat polls for Phase III will be held on March 7 while those for Phase II are scheduled for March 28.

Conducting repeat grassroots elections in 42 counties signals an attempt to standardise leadership structures and ensure compliance with the party’s constitution and internal electoral guidelines.

Grassroots elections are considered critical for political parties as they determine officials who directly engage with members and voters at the local level.

The officials elected at polling centres often influence the selection of higher-level leaders at ward, constituency and county levels.

By directing members to an online portal to identify open positions, UDA is also leaning into digital tools to manage its internal processes.

The online system is expected to enhance transparency and make it easier for members to access information regarding vacancies and eligibility requirements.