President William Ruto has moved to assure aspirants eyeing various elective seats on the UDA ticket that the party’s nominations will be free, fair, democratic and credible, insisting that internal democracy is a right and not a favour.
Ruto sought to calm anxiety among contestants who fear being edged out by incumbents or powerful rivals within the party.
He acknowledged the unspoken concerns among aspirants who find themselves competing against sitting governors, senators, MPs or MCAs, some of whom already wield influence within the party structures.
“Najua kila moja wenu hapa anajiuliza, mimi nimekuja hapa niko na mpinzani ambaye kwa sasa ni governor ama senator ama mbunge wa UDA. Sasa yeye ni MCA na ako nje, sijui nitapata nafasi ya kuwa na fair nomination process,” Ruto said.
He assured them that the party would not tilt the scales in favour of anyone, pledging his personal commitment to safeguard the integrity of the nominations.
“We have done nominations before. I want to give you my personal undertaking that I will ensure this party conducts free, fair, democratic, credible elections,” the President said amid cheers from attendees.
He was speaking during a meeting attended by a record 12,235 aspirants from across the country, ranging from gubernatorial hopefuls to Members of County Assembly (MCAs) at State House.
Ruto was emphatic that transparent nominations were not a privilege to be begged for but a constitutional and political right of every party member.
“t is not a favour. To have a free and fair nomination process is not a favour. It is a right. You don’t request, you demand,” he said, drawing loud applause from the aspirants.
He added that the outcome of the nominations must be accepted by all, calling for unity after the contests.
“And we will make sure mwenye kushinda ashinde kwa haki, mwenye kushindwa ashindwe kwa haki, halafu tuungane tusonge mbele,” Ruto said.
The President placed particular emphasis on the role of polling centre officials, describing them as the backbone of the party’s grassroots organisation.
He said UDA would rely heavily on individuals elected at the polling station level to drive the party’s agenda and logistics on the ground.
“Na wale watu polling centre ni watu muhimu sana. Those are the people I am looking for,” he said.
Drawing from his recent tour of Nyeri County, Ruto noted that thousands of grassroots leaders had already been elected there.
“I was in Nyeri, I met all those who were elected, 17,000 people were elected,” he said.
He added that in every county, the party would engage the elected polling centre officials to plan and coordinate party activities.
“Every county I am waiting, I will meet those 20 people elected in every polling centre kwa sababu wao ndiyo watakuwa viongozi wa chama,” Ruto explained.
According to the President, these grassroots leaders will play a critical role in determining who becomes a party agent, who supports the party at the local level, how party materials are distributed and how the party manifesto reaches voters.
“I can’t come to every polling station. Those are the ones who know how to plan stuff in all the grassroots,” he said.
Ruto also urged aspirants to popularise UDA from the grassroots, arguing that the strength of the party lies in its presence and organisation at the lowest levels of society.
He further called for peaceful campaigns, regardless of party affiliation, urging UDA members to view politicians from other parties as competitors rather than enemies.
“Those in other parties are just our competitors,” he said, adding that tolerance and patience were essential in a vibrant democracy.
“We must learn to tolerate one another. We must learn to be patient to another,” Ruto said.
In a strong message on gender inclusion, the President condemned the intimidation of women aspirants during political meetings, saying such behaviour was unacceptable and retrogressive.
“I have visited regions, especially where a woman aspirant is eyeing a seat, she is shouted down by men,” Ruto said.
He challenged men who shout down women candidates, questioning their conduct.
“What kind of man are you to shout down a woman? Look for a fellow man and shout them down,” he said, drawing laughter and applause.
Ruto noted that the hostile nature of politics had discouraged many capable women from seeking leadership positions.
“We have very few women leaders because of political chaos which makes women scared,” he said.
He stressed that women are just as capable leaders as men and called on female aspirants to also show tolerance towards one another as they pursue their political ambitions.
“Women are as good leaders as anyone else,” he said, urging all aspirants to embrace “siasa ya nidhamu”, politics of discipline and respect.
The President said the sheer number of aspirants attending the meeting was unprecedented in his political career, describing it as a strong statement about the kind of politics Kenyans want.
“I have been around and I have never witnessed a meeting of over 12,000 aspirants,” Ruto said.
He interpreted the turnout as a clear rejection of divisive politics based on personalities and ethnicity.
“This is a big statement that they do not want politics of personalities, ethnicities, but politics that unite the nation, that havea plan and an agenda for the transformation of Kenya,” Ruto said.
