Kenya’s ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) held its first National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of 2026 on January 2, 2026, at the party’s headquarters in Nairobi. The session focused on upcoming internal elections and set a tone of optimism for future contests.

Lamu Governor Issa Timamy, the Second Deputy Party Leader, co-chaired the meeting with Secretary General Senator Hassan Omar Hassan. They addressed pressing matters, including the grassroots elections scheduled for January 10, 2026, in 20 counties.

National Elections Board (NEB) Chairman Engineer Anthony Mwaura briefed members on preparations for the polls. He assured the NEC that the party is ready to conduct the elections smoothly.

These upcoming contests will complete a process started earlier, covering several counties. Deputy Executive Director Higgins Mbugua from the Directorate of Elections presented a report on candidate registrations. He outlined the current status and highlighted steady progress in sign-ups across the counties.

Senior party officials attended the meeting. Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot joined Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, chair of the UDA Governors Caucus, as well as National Treasurer Japheth Nyakundi, National Organising Secretary Vincent Kawaya, and Executive Director Nicodemus Bore.

UDA eyes by-election sweep

The NEC also discussed the by-elections scheduled for February 26, 2026. These include the Isiolo South parliamentary seat and ward positions in Embu and Kakamega counties.

“The party top organ also discussed the upcoming by-elections slated for 26th February 2026, where members expressed confidence of a clean sweep of all the seats up for contest,” the official party statement noted.

Strengthening party

The meeting highlights UDA’s focus on strengthening party structures ahead of the 2027 general elections. Grassroots elections will elect officials at the polling station, ward, constituency, and county levels. In recent weeks, the party ran sensitisation campaigns in affected counties, encouraging members – especially youth and women – to take part.

Electronic voting will feature in the process, as demonstrated during training sessions. Party leaders stressed the importance of fair and inclusive elections to build a solid foundation at the local level.

UDA continues to position itself as a dominant force in Kenyan politics, building on recent by-election victories. The NEC gathering reinforced a sense of unity and readiness as the party advances President William Ruto’s agenda.