The starting gun for the 2027 General Election has effectively been fired. The ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has officially opened its aspirant registration portal, monetizing the path to power with fees set for every elective seat. The move, ratified ahead of a high-stakes meeting at State House, signals President William Ruto’s intent to consolidate his political war machine early.

In a notice by the National Elections Board (NEB), the party has invited members to join the "Aspirants Forum," a body that will ostensibly guide the nomination process. However, insiders view this as a loyalty audit—a way to catalogue the foot soldiers and war chests available for the reelection campaign.

The Cost of Ambition

Politics is not a poor man's game, and the UDA fee schedule confirms it. The party has instituted a tiered "pay-to-play" structure:

• Governors: Aspirants eyeing the county CEO seat must part with KES 10,000 just to register.
• Parliamentarians: MPs, Senators, and Woman Reps are pegged at KES 5,000.
• MCAs: The grassroots defenders face a KES 2,000 entry fee.

While these figures seem modest, they are merely the "gate fees." The real cost lies in the nomination battles to come.

State House Strategy

The upcoming meeting at State House, to be chaired by President Ruto, is not just administrative; it is strategic. By centralizing the aspirant corps under the President’s direct gaze, UDA aims to avoid the chaotic fallout of the 2022 primaries. "We are building a party of order," an NEB official stated. But critics argue that hosting party affairs at State House blurs the line between party and state, turning the seat of power into a campaign headquarters.