By John Toris 

Nairobi — The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is fully prepared to conduct its Repeat Phase III Grassroots Elections across 18 counties this Saturday, March 14, 2026, with over 500,000 candidates vying for various leadership positions, the party's Secretary General has announced.

In a media briefing ahead of the exercise, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan confirmed that the repeat polls will be held in Kiambu, Murang'a, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Nyandarua, Embu, Meru, Samburu, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Baringo, Laikipia, Kericho, Bomet, and Vihiga counties.

Hassan Omar stated that the elections are part of ongoing efforts to finalize Phase III of the party's grassroots polls, which seek to establish functional and representative leadership structures at the polling centre level.

He revealed that the exercise has attracted significant participation, with over 500,000 candidates registering to contest for twenty grassroots leadership positions available at polling centres. "The large number of aspirants reflects the growing interest among members to actively participate in building and strengthening party structures at the grassroots level," Omar said.

The positions, according to the Secretary General, are designed to ensure inclusive representation across various segments of society, with candidates drawn from groups representing women, youth, persons with special interests, farmers, religious leaders, professionals, and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Omar further disclosed that approximately eight million registered party members are expected to take part in the elections, with voting taking place in 8,819 polling centres distributed across the 18 counties. He assured that logistical arrangements have already been completed to ensure a smooth and transparent exercise.

To enhance efficiency and transparency, the Secretary General announced that UDA has deployed technology to manage the electoral process from voting to results transmission. "We have distributed 9,000 electronic voting tablets to polling centres where they will be used to facilitate the voting process and capture results," Omar stated.

He added that election results will be made publicly available through an online results portal on the UDA website, allowing members and the public to follow the outcome of the elections in real time.

Voting is scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM and close at 5:00 PM on Saturday, with party members expected to cast their ballots at their respective polling centres.

Upon completion of the elections, Omar said the process is expected to produce approximately 150,000 grassroots officials, who will serve as the party's representatives and coordinators at the polling centre level. "These officials will play a crucial role in strengthening grassroots engagement, mobilization, and representation of members in party activities," he explained.

The Secretary General emphasized that the grassroots elections remain a critical pillar in building a strong and democratic party structure driven by the direct participation of its members.