Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Monday said the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party is set to hold grassroots elections as part of efforts to strengthen and expand its networks.
Gachagua said the ruling party will holding discussions on ways of ensuring elections are held in all the polling stations across the country.
“UDA will have elections, all the officers and officials are serving on an interim basis. The party will make arrangements for national elections from the polling stations to the wards, constituency, county all the way to the national office,” said Gachagua.
He spoke at the party headquarters in Nairobi on Monday, where he toured the offices and held a meeting with party officials. UDA is currently the largest party in the country and boasts over 10 million registered members.
Gachagua, who is the deputy party leader, said he was at the party headquarters to appraise himself on behalf of President William Ruto (the party leader) on activities of the outfit in terms of membership recruitment and preparations of the grassroots elections.
“I am very satisfied with the progress so far and we are very happy with what the Secretary-General (Cleophas Malala) is doing. Since his appointment to this office, the party has been energized,” said Gachagua.
Noting that UDA was hardly a year old when it rose to power in August 2022, the Deputy President said the plan is “to build a political machine not just for 2027 elections, but for the years to come”.
He stated that the party will open offices in all 47 counties.
“Our party is based on ideology- the economic transformation agenda and we must build our party around that agenda. Not just a vehicle of forming government, it is a party that has ideology,” he stated.
“Our objective as a party is to dignify the Kenyan economy, to have money in the pocket of every Kenyan and empower those at the bottom of the social economic agenda.”
He continued: “We have seen previous political parties die after the election, but this is a party that will live many years because it is based on ideology -The bottom Up Economic Model. Fielding questions from the media.”
“UDA will encourage democracy and criticism of it’s leadership, as long as it positively helps build the outfit.”
The DP said party members were free to air their concerns on the management of the party, saying it was their democratic right to express their concerns.
“Ours is called the United Democratic party. We emphasize on that word ‘democratic’. Anyone can criticise everyone and those being criticized must know that they have a responsibility and thus act in an accountable manner,” he said.
