The United Democratic Alliance Party (UDA) has announced rescheduling of its nomination exercise in Ol Kalou constituency, moving the date from May 9 to May 8, 2026.
The party says the move is aimed at avoiding a possible logistical nightmare that might confuse voters, who would be expected to participate in two separate elections at the same place and time.
Led by National Elections Board Members Jimmy Kahindi and Mary Mutinga, the party has assured residents that the nominations will be conducted across all polling stations in Ol Kalou, emphasizing that the process will be free, fair, and transparent.
“We cannot proceed with concurrent nominations at the same polling centers. Using the same venues for two parties on the same day would create a logistical nightmare. It would confuse voters, who would be expected to participate in two separate elections at the same place and time,’’ Kahindi stated
According to officials, they received concerns from aspirants about the date, which conflicts with the rival parties, and have requested the top leadership to reschedule it to avoid logistical challenges, as they will be using the same venues as other parties, which, according to them, might confuse voters.
“Our candidates have raised these concerns and requested a more practical approach—allowing each party to conduct its nominations on a separate day. We have communicated this to the party headquarters, and the request has been approved,’’ Kahindi said
However, with the new date falling on a weekday when schools will be in session, questions emerged about how they will conduct the nominations because they will use the same polling centers gazetted by IEBC, the majority of which are schools.
Kahinda responded by saying that all the logistical arrangements are being handled at the party headquarters.
While polling centers are identified by schools, parties still have the flexibility to conduct their elections in nearby spaces if needed, and he has confidence that voters will still turn up in large numbers, urging the public to maintain peace and avoid any activities that may disrupt learning in nearby schools.
“Let me also be clear: all polling centers registered by the IEBC will be used, and each will conduct elections independently. We do not merge polling centers for nominations—every registered center will remain active,’’ he added.
Meanwhile, aspirants seeking various positions under the party ticket have expressed optimism, stating that they joined the ruling party with strong hopes of bringing development benefits to residents.
Notably, a total of over 22 individuals have declared their candidacy from three political parties, with the UDA Party attracting 10 aspirants seeking to clinch the party’s ticket, namely Mary Nyokabi, Samuel Muchina, George Wambugu, Maina Kiambati, Wangenye Ndung’u, Peter Mugo, Kiamani Mwangi, Joseph Chuchu, Joseph Nidarangu, and Kiama Mwangi.
The Olkalou contest has garnered significant interest considering the fact that the late MP Kiaraho, who won under the Jubilee ticket, aligned himself with the UDA government, with his family being vocal in its support for President William Ruto.
