Chaos, confusion and rigging claims mar UDA Western party primaries

UDA members at Nabongo primary school polling station during grassroot elections on January 10, 2026. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard] President William Ruto may be forced back to the drawing board in his efforts to strengthen the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) after a disappointing turnout and chaotic scenes marked the party's grassroots elections Saturday. Confusion, accusations of rigging and poor organisation dogged the exercise in several regions, notably Mumias East Constituency in Kakamega County and parts of Bomet, exposing deep fissures within the ruling party as it seeks to consolidate its structures ahead of the 2027 General Election. In Mumias East, polls intended to establish party leadership from the grassroots failed to take off at Mungavira polling station after irate supporters chased away a presiding officer, forcing election officials to retreat and halting voting altogether. Similar complaints of manipulation, favouritism and inadequate planning were raised across the constituency, culminating in the dramatic withdrawal of one aspirant who accused the party of orchestrating a biased process. At the centre of the standoff was Utalii Training College chairman David Wamatsi, a grassroots aspirant, who led supporters in declaring the exercise null and void. He accused party officials of grave anomalies, including questionable delegate lists, lack of preparedness and the controversial inclusion of elderly individuals as youth leaders. "This election cannot proceed under these conditions. There are serious anomalies here," Wamatsi said amid chants from supporters."How do you explain an elderly woman, allegedly aged 77 years, being listed as a youth leader? This is not only irregular, but it is also an insult to the youths of this constituency." Supporters argued that such actions undermined the credibility of the polls and betrayed the idea of grassroots democracy, which UDA has repeatedly said is central to its mobilisation strategy. Wamatsi said the listing of elderly individuals in youth slots disenfranchised genuine young party members and raised serious questions about how delegate lists were compiled. As tensions escalated, election officials abandoned the polling station, with supporters vowing to block any attempt to resume voting until their grievances were addressed. Beyond the youth list controversy, party members accused officials of handpicking delegates without consulting aspirants or local stakeholders, and allowing members of the same family to dominate leadership positions. "These elections are meant to strengthen UDA, but what we are seeing is division. If confusion starts at the grassroots, then we are killing the party. We all want this party to move forward and support President William Ruto in 2027, but this is not the way," Wamatsi said. At the heart of the controversy was Zainabu Ebuyua, a 77-year-old woman whose name had allegedly appeared on the delegate list as a youth representative. Speaking to journalists at the polling station, Ebuyua distanced herself from the role. "I don't want to be a youth leader. I only want to be a member of UDA. I don't even understand how my name was placed in that position," she said. Another party member, Winfred Khachina, 64, said he was shocked to receive a message indicating he had been selected to represent the youth. "With my age, how can I be a youth?" Khachina asked. "I am willing to serve the party in any other capacity, but that position should be left to the youths themselves." By mid-morning, it was clear that voting at Mungavira would not take place. The turmoil was compounded by the withdrawal of grassroots aspirant Benson Mapwoni, who announced hours before the polls that he would not participate, citing alleged rigging and partisan conduct by party officials. "My team and I were ready and fully prepared to participate in the UDA grassroots elections in Mumias East," Mapwoni said."However, we made a difficult decision to withdraw after it became clear that the process had been compromised even before voting." Mapwoni appealed to the UDA national leadership to intervene urgently, warning that failure to act could erode confidence in the party's internal democratic processes. "Grassroots democracy should not be sacrificed for the interests of a few individuals. This is not about fear of competition. It is about defending fairness and integrity within the party," he said, adding that his withdrawal should not be seen as a retreat. Former Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali, who is contesting for a co-opted position, downplayed the claims of rigging, insisting the process was largely smooth."We have 52 polling stations and only three polling stations had an issue and therefore the hitches are minor that does not amount to postponement of this grassroots election," Washiali said. "This election has been smooth and the turnout has been good considering this is the first grassroots election UDA is holding." Several party members interviewed warned that the disputes could weaken UDA's support base. [Report by Benard Lusigi, Mary Imenza and Kiprono Kurgat]

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