Kindiki: Fair party primaries key to strengthening democracy
By Faith Lagat, September 26, 2025Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has highlighted the importance of fair party primaries in strengthening Kenya’s democracy.
Speaking at the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Headquarters in Nairobi during the handover of a UDA Party Nomination Certificate, on September 26, 2025, Kindiki described party primaries as “the first and last bastion for democracy.”
He emphasised that political parties must uphold transparency and credibility in internal elections to lay a strong foundation for national polls.
“Parties have fallen short, and it is very untidy for democracy because the party primaries are the first and last bastion for democracy. We must make sure parties conduct primaries in a fair, credible manner before demanding accountability from IEBC in the national elections,” he said.
UDA electronic voting
Kindiki praised UDA for introducing an electronic voting system, which he said had improved transparency and minimised disputes in primaries.
“We have built now on that history; UDA is the first party that I know of that has now gone into technology. We have just conducted the by-elections primaries digitally, and it has worked wonders with no disputes recorded,” he said.
He urged the party to expand the system in preparation for the next general elections. “Let us work towards expanding what we have achieved so that in the next general elections, we conduct our by-elections digitally, and we should do it better than IEBC,” Kindiki added.
Fair primaries
President William Ruto earlier congratulated winners of the UDA primaries in a post on X on September 21, describing the process as “free, fair, and non-violent.” The party had cautioned against issuing direct tickets, ensuring a level playing field.
Counties such as Kakamega, Nandi, and Nyamira implemented the electronic voting system, which drew praise for its clarity and efficiency. Businessman Buzeki described the Tembelio Ward nominations, where Reuben Kigen Tobosei won with 3,454 votes, as “revolutionary.”
UDA’s National Elections Board chairperson, Anthony Mwaura, encouraged other parties and the IEBC to adopt similar technology, citing its potential to deliver credible and timely results.