Ruto promises women politicians fair play in UDA nominations
By Cy Muganda, February 4, 2026President William Ruto has committed to giving women politicians a fair chance in leadership as the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) prepares for free, fair, inclusive and democratic nominations ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In a statement posted on his X account on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, following a meeting with 12,353 UDA aspirants for the 2027 General Election at State House, Nairobi, the President outlined his vision for strengthening UDA as a truly national and inclusive political party while addressing economic challenges facing ordinary Kenyans.
“We are strengthening the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) at the grassroots to position it as a truly national and inclusive political party that accommodates every Kenyan and champions a long-term agenda for unity, growth, and shared prosperity,” Ruto stated.
Agenda-based governance
The head of State emphasised his administration’s commitment to enhancing women’s participation in leadership positions, stating that they would be given a fair chance to compete and lead within the party.
“To enhance women inclusion in leadership, we commit to giving women politicians a fair chance in leadership as we work to ensure free, fair, inclusive and democratic nominations,” he said.
Ruto highlighted UDA’s focus on issue-based politics rather than divisive strategies.
“Our party continues to set a new standard in our politics by embracing agenda-based governance that serves Kenyans devoid of tribalism, division, hate, and personality-driven politics,” he stated.
The President further defended his administration’s economic record, saying more than 80 per cent of the Kenya Kwanza manifesto commitments had already been delivered under the bottom-up economic model.
“As promised in our manifesto, we are transforming the economy from bottom-up, with over 80 per cent of our commitments already delivered. As a result, the economy is stable and Kenyans are reaping the benefits,” Ruto said.
Tax relief for workers
To ease the cost of living for ordinary Kenyans, Ruto, during the session, also announced plans to exempt workers earning Ksh30,000 and below from paying income tax.
“We plan to exempt more than 1.5 million workers earning Ksh30,000 and below a month from paying income tax. For a further 500,000 earning up to Ksh50,000, we are reducing the tax rate from 30 per cent to 25 per cent,” he said.
Ruto described this as a practical implementation of the Bottom-Up economic model.
“This is what we mean by Bottom-Up – practical policies that put dignity, opportunity, and relief in the hands of those at the base of our economy,” Ruto stated.