A total of 3,803 aspirants have registered to vie for elective positions on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, just five days after the ruling party opened its online registration portal in preparation for the 2027 General Election.
Figures released by the party point to intense early competition within President William Ruto’s camp, underscoring the high stakes for members seeking the party’s nomination.
According to the data, 64 aspirants have expressed interest in gubernatorial seats, 98 in Senate races, 138 in Woman Representative positions, 640 in parliamentary contests, while the largest group—2,863 aspirants—are eyeing Member of County Assembly (MCA) positions across the country.
The registrations follow a notice issued on January 22 by the party’s National Elections Board (NEB), inviting eligible members to enrol for the UDA Aspirants’ Forum scheduled for February 4. The forum will be chaired by President Ruto and held at State House, Nairobi.
The NEB is a key party organ mandated to oversee the nomination process, including setting rules, timelines and dispute resolution mechanisms ahead of the next general election.
Accessible through the party’s official website, the registration portal marks the first structured step in UDA’s formal preparations for 2027. The party has also introduced non-refundable registration fees ranging from Sh2,000 to Sh10,000, depending on the elective seat sought.
MCA aspirants are required to pay Sh2,000, those vying for Member of the National Assembly, Woman Representative or Senator positions Sh5,000, while gubernatorial aspirants must pay Sh10,000.
“All qualified and interested party members who wish to contest for various elective seats in the 2027 General Election are hereby invited to register as members of the UDA Aspirants’ Forum,” said NEB Chairman Anthony Mwaura.
He added that the board is committed to delivering a transparent, credible and orderly nomination process.
Payments are made via M-Pesa Paybill number 888092 using the aspirant’s national ID number as the account reference, or alternatively through an Equity Bank account held in the party’s name.
Beyond the numbers, the opening of the portal has formally ushered in early political manoeuvring within the ruling party, as UDA moves to centralise and manage internal competition.
Political analysts view the decision to hold the aspirants’ forum at State House as a strategic move by President Ruto to assert control over the nomination process, tighten discipline and avert the chaos that has characterised party primaries in past election cycles.
The forum is expected to bring together thousands of aspirants from across the country and serve as the first major engagement between UDA’s top leadership and those seeking party tickets.
Party insiders say the meeting will outline nomination rules, set timelines, clarify dispute resolution mechanisms and issue warnings against premature campaigns, parallel mobilisation structures and public infighting.
Holding the forum at State House is also seen as symbolic, signalling that nominations are a strategic priority for the presidency and allowing the party to assess emerging regional dynamics where multiple strong aspirants are competing for the same seats.