UDA sets 2027 strategy, moves to formalise coalition talks with ODM

UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar and chairperson Cecily Mbarire during a press briefing in Nairobi on January 21, 2026. [Collins Oduor, Standard] The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party has unveiled a roadmap aimed at strengthening the political outfit structures ahead of the 2027 General Elections. The party is set to hold a Special National Governing Council (NGC) on Monday, January 26, with the meeting expected issue a green-light for the commencement of coalition talks with Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Addressing the press on Wednesday at the party's headquarters in Nairobi, party officials led by UDA chair Cecily Mbarire said the party will also dissect the implementation progress of the 10-point Memorandum of Understanding it signed with ODM. "The NGC shall ratify the National Executive Committee (NEC) resolution mandating the Party Leader to commence structured negotiations with the ODM Party," the Embu Governor said. The NGC, she said, will include all UDA elected leaders, the officials of the disbanded Amani National Congress party and "friends of the party" who will act as 'observers." According to Mbarire, the resolutions emerged from a National Steering Committee meeting held on January 20, chaired by President William Ruto. She noted that the NGC will also take stock of the Ruto administration's scorecard on the progress of the implementation of the its Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) manifesto. It will further receive a report from the National Elections Board (NEB) on the just conducted grassroot elections. At the same time, the ruling party announced plans to hold repeat elections in the polling stations where there were disputes in the just concluded party grassroots polls. Mbarire was flanked by the party's Secretary General Hassan Omar, Majority leaders of the bicameral parliament, Kimani Ichungwa (National Assembly) and Aron Cheruiyot (Senate) among other party officials. Ichungwa said that NSC resolved that: "It is only fair that we accord all those who have expressed interest to run for elected positions on the grassroots level an opportunity to do that through the elections in the select voting stations that had disputes." The repeat elections, the officials said, will be carried out in select polling stations across 42 counties on March 7 and 28 respectively. The party has already welcomed applications for interested parties seeking the positions to apply as it opens the registration portal on Wednesday. He said that the party is "ready" to elevate the UDA-ODM negotiations from NEC to the NGC, even as they work towards implementing the 10-point agenda. The committee working on the implementation of the MoU briefed President Ruto on Wednesday on the progress of the implementation. There has been a matter of concern among a section of ODM leaders who accuse the Kenya Kwanza administration of sitting on the agreement at the expense of the people. "The 10-point agenda has given us a basis for working (8:35) with ODM. We have achieved some of the proposals that were made," said Cheruiyot. The party has opened applications for aspirants interested to run for elective posts in the upcoming 2027 polls using the party ticket, with inaugural aspirants' forum meeting expected to be held in February 4, at the State House.

UDA sets 2027 strategy, moves to formalise coalition talks with ODM

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