Politicians in the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) are holding secret meetings with ward delegates elected in the just-concluded grassroots party elections.
This comes amid intensified campaigns for constituency and county delegate seats, whose contests involving governors, MPs and those eyeing various positions in the 2027 polls will be decided by ward delegates, hence the battle to court their support.
“The race for the positions at the constituency and county levels for Nairobi, Narok, West Pokot, Busia and Homa Bay counties are slated for May 25 and June 1, respectively,” UDA National Elections Board (NEB) chairperson Anthony Mwaura said.
“The next phase of these elections at the ward level for the first five counties will be on May 18 before we can hold the constituency elections on May 25. In counties, the elections will be held on June 1.
"We are giving ourselves a space of a week to resolve any disputes that may emerge.”
The party is mulling postponing the second phase of the exercise from June to August.
Mr Mwaura said this is because of the possible change of the academic calendar following the postponement of the reopening of schools due to flooding.
The June date was to fall within the half-term holidays. Most public schools are used as polling centres for elections.
“If we can’t proceed as earlier planned, we will hold both the second and third phase in August,” said Mr Mwaura.
The party’s Electoral and Nomination Dispute Resolution Committee (ENDRC) last week dismissed all 209 disputes that stemmed from the April 27 exercise .
The grassroots elections have drawn a lot of interest, with political bigwigs pulling out all the stops to ensure their allies are elected in the wards to boost their chances of becoming party officials at the constituency, county and national levels.
At the weekend, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who is eyeing the county chairmanship, met with some of the delegates elected at the polling centre level.
He is set to face off with Embakasi MP James Gakuya, who is said to have the backing of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
In West Pokot, Governor Simon Kachapin and Senator Julius Murgor are squaring it out for the chairmanship position.
Kapenguria MP Samuel Moroto is battling Mr Jackson Rotino and Mr Mzalendo Plimo for the secretary-general position.
In Narok, the contest for the county chairmanship is a two-horse race between Governor Patrick Ntutu and Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo. The secretary-general position is contested by MPs Ken Aramat (Narok East) and Johanna Ng’eno (Emurua Dikkir).
