Murang’a records high turnout in repeat UDA grassroots elections

A UDA party member casting his vote at Kangema primary school in Kangema constituency, Murang'a, on March 14, 2026/ ALICE WAITHERA

Scores of residents in Murang’a County turned up at polling centres on Saturday to vote for their UDA party representatives in repeat grassroots elections, following a low turnout recorded during the initial exercise held in January.

At Kangema Primary School polling station, residents streamed in throughout the day to participate in the exercise aimed at electing grassroots officials who will represent the party at higher levels.

Voters expressed optimism that the repeat election would strengthen the party’s structures at the local level.

Stephen Mwangi, a resident of Kanorero in Kangema, said the turnout was encouraging and reflected growing support for the ruling party at the grassroots.

He noted that increased civic education by party officials had helped residents better understand the purpose of the elections and the various leadership categories being contested.

“In the initial elections, many people did not clearly understand what they were voting for or why. This time, the party conducted awareness campaigns, and people now know the categories and the importance of choosing their leaders,” Mwangi said after casting his vote.

Murang’a County Assembly Speaker Johnson Mukuha said most polling stations across the county reported an average turnout of about 80 per cent.

He explained that the party decided to repeat the grassroots elections after members raised concerns that the earlier exercise had been confusing due to the large number of leadership categories.

Murang'a county assembly speaker Johnson Mukuha during UDA grassroots elections in Kangema on March 14, 2026/ ALICE WAITHERA

“Today was very successful. We listened to our members who said the earlier process was confusing, went back to the drawing board and created awareness on all the categories before conducting the repeat elections,” Mukuha said.

He added that the high turnout demonstrated strong support for the party at the grassroots, noting that similar participation had been reported across thousands of polling stations countrywide.

During the exercise, a total of 20 representatives were elected in various categories, including youth, farmers and women.

The elected officials will proceed to the ward-level elections, where another set of leaders will be chosen before advancing to the constituency, county and eventually the national level where the National Executive Council will be formed.

Mukuha said Murang’a remains one of the party’s strongholds, pointing to the overwhelming support the party received during the 2022 General Election.

In that election, the county voted largely in favour of UDA candidates, including the election of Irungu Kang’ata as governor and Joe Nyutu as senator, while the presidential vote also heavily favoured William Ruto.

He noted that the party intends to strengthen its grassroots networks by involving newly elected officials in community engagement activities, including explaining the party’s development agenda and sharing its scorecard with residents.

“We are getting leaders who are loyal to the party at every polling station and who understand our manifesto. They will help communicate our development record to the people and ensure there is no vacuum that can be filled by misinformation,” he said.

Mukuha added that the party plans to establish a calendar of activities to further consolidate its support across the county and the country ahead of future elections.

Murang’a residents overwhelmingly backed the ruling party in the 2022 general election, handing the party decisive victories in most major seats.