UDA party to hold polls in 22 counties, assures fair process

The United Democratic Party (UDA) has announced plans to conduct grassroots elections in 22 counties across the country. 

UDA National Elections Board chairperson Anthony Mwaura said the preparations are in top gear, assuring the party members of "free and fair elections." 

According to Mwaura, the elections are scheduled to take place this month between Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th. 

"We are carrying our election in a total of 5,237 polling centres, whereby we will be able to elect 20 officials from every polling station and polling centre," he said. 

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He spoke on Wednesday at the party's warehouse in Nairobi during inspections of their preparations towards the elections. 

The ruling party chair said the members will participate in electing the polling station officials in five categories, targeting 104,000 officials at the end of the exercise. 

The UDA elections come after the indefinite postponement of the President William Ruto-led party grassroots elections following the nationwide Gen Z protests, a development that threw the members into a state of confusion and speculation.

During the protests, the party suffered losses in some parts of the country, as its offices were torched in areas like Embu County. 

And to avoid glitches that may lead to further postponement of the elections, Mwaura assured, the party has put up mechanisms to prevent delays of the distribution of election materials and will deploy the use of technology to ensure credibility. 

"Because of the rains whereby it is raining and inaccessible, we have even gotten ourselves two helicopters, and in areas like Taita Taveta, we have got even boats and canoes to transport election materials," he stated. 

Members of the dissolved Amani National Congress (ANC) party that joined the ruling party, he said, will also participate in the elections. 

"The former ANC members are participating in the elections, both as aspirants and as members in all the 22 counties," said Ferrah Etyang, UDA NEB Board member. 

Some of the counties where elections will take place include Lamu, Taita Taveta, Isiolo, Marsabit, Bungoma, Busia, and Kajiado. Kitui, Turkana and Machakos among others. 

Mwaura said that the hiring of returning officers from the ward level to the constituency level is ongoing, an exercise that is expected to end on Thursday. 

"We urge our party members to be keen, to take care, not to be involved in malpractices," he said.