By Anderson Ojwang
President William Ruto is not leaving anything to chance with 17 months to the 2027 General Elections.
The recent InfoTrack opinion poll, which placed him ahead at 28 percent, must have been a wake-up call to assemble his campaign arsenals for the presidential contest.
A single opposition coalition and candidate is a nightmare for President Ruto, which explains why he has embarked on building hidden and strategic vote blocs that could boost his re-election bid.
After ordering a repeat of UDA grassroots elections in over 80 percent of the country, Ruto is now looking to tap into the potential and opportunity cost of aspirants.
In a recent advert on UDA’s social media platforms, signed by the Chairman of the National Election Board, Mr Antony Mwaura, aspirants were asked to register for the Aspirants’ Forum scheduled for February 4, 2026.
“Following a notice issued on January 21, 2026, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) hereby informs all party members and aspiring candidates that the registration deadline for the UDA Aspirants’ Forum is Monday, February 2, 2026, at 11.59 pm.
All qualified and interested party members who intend to contest for various elective positions in the 2027 General Elections are invited to complete their registration within the stipulated period.
All duly registered aspirants are invited to attend the UDA Aspirants’ Forum meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 8.00 am at State House, Nairobi, and are required to carry their national identity cards for verification purposes,” the advert read.
The Aspirants’ Forum provides President Ruto with an opportunity to craft his presidential campaign team right from the polling stations, with aspirants expected to serve as the main drivers.
Similarly, this will provide UDA with the opportunity to estimate targeted revenue from aspirants and plan ahead of party primaries.
President Ruto is also working towards winning the allegiance of aspirants and ensuring they remain committed to the party.
This explains why Ruto has embarked on rebuilding his party in readiness for the elections — not just as a party of power, but a party for prosperity.
Recently, President Ruto moved to secure 584,000 votes countrywide from party officials, from the grassroots to the national level.
In the 2022 General Elections, UDA did not have offices and party officials across the country, except in its strongholds of Mt Kenya and the Rift Valley regions.
Currently, UDA and ODM are the only parties with countrywide grassroots party officials, while other political parties largely enjoy regional support.
Politics of Polling Centres
The polling station is the political aorta of any political party — where it is made or unmade — and that is why Ruto has moved decisively to reposition UDA nationally.
“Successful democratic countries are built on a solid foundation of political parties. The political party is not the political leader, the National Executive Council, or the National Governing Council — the political party is the grassroots.
The polling station is where the political party is made or unmade. If you go to any successful political party, its strength lies in the grassroots,” he said.
The Numbers and What They Mean for Ruto’s Re-election
President Ruto is focused on strengthening grassroots leadership to jumpstart his re-election campaign, which is why numbers matter.
“We have positions for 540,000 officials in the party — 20 people per polling centre. We conducted elections recently, but many senior leaders, MCAs, and MPs did not bother to participate.
Very few participated. I commend Kirinyaga and Bomet counties, where we saw higher participation. But in other counties, turnout was very low. In some polling centres, only 20 or 30 people voted.
If only 30 people voted in a polling centre, can we say the election went well? That is why we instructed the National Election Board to repeat elections in polling centres where fewer than 50 people voted,” he said.
UDA Ward Leadership to Change
President Ruto has also embarked on a move to ensure senior party members take up leadership roles at ward and branch levels.
“The grassroots are very important. I encourage you to go and become ward chairpersons in your counties. These are the people who will decide the future of the party.
Nominations — whether for MPs or MCAs — will be decided by the party, and the party must have legitimacy. That legitimacy comes from members voting for party officials. We are going to redo the exercise where we did not do well,” he said.
KANU and ODM Grassroots Equation
President Ruto has also initiated moves to enter into a pre-election coalition pact with ODM and has brought KANU National Chairman Gideon Moi into the broad-based arrangement.
Gideon Moi dropped his Baringo senatorial by-election bid to join President Ruto in the broad-based government.
ODM Party Leader Dr Oburu Odinga was recently mandated by the party’s Central Committee to engage UDA in pre-election coalition talks.
“I want to tell you, the reason KANU succeeded for many years was because people lined up at polling stations to elect grassroots leaders. The reason ODM is where it is today is because they conduct elections at polling centres,” Ruto said.
Friends or No Friends, Party First
President Ruto said party members at polling stations will decide their leaders, and elections will not be based on friendship.
“I know you have friends. I also have friends. Even if you support someone you think is loyal, the people at the polling station may think differently. Let everyone compete. We must accept whoever is elected,” he said.
Let the People Decide
President Ruto added that some officials who were previously appointed must now seek legitimacy through the ballot.
“We have people whose names were written into party offices. It is time to take them to the ballot. Once someone has been elected, they value the mandate given to them and are less likely to walk away. This is how we build loyalty to the party,” he said.
