UDA Grassroots Elections Kick Off Smoothly in Kisumu with High Turnout
KISUMU, Kenya Apr 23 – Grassroots elections of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) commenced smoothly across several counties on Thursday, with Kisumu County among regions reporting an orderly and well-attended exercise.
Voting began promptly at 8 a.m. in most polling centers, including Victoria Primary School, where National Elections Board member Halake Dida supervised the process.
Dida, who is overseeing elections in four counties across the Nyanza region, expressed satisfaction with both organization and voter turnout.
“I am happy with the turnout so far. The exercise started on time and is progressing well. By midday, we had already recorded about 75 percent turnout, which is very encouraging,” he said.
He emphasized that the process has remained transparent and credible, assuring party members and candidates of a free and fair election.
“So far, we have not experienced any major challenges, and importantly, no registered voter has reported missing their name from the register,” he added.
Across Kisumu County, which has 761 polling centers, voting proceeded with minimal disruptions.
At Nyalunya Primary School in Kisumu East Constituency, county chairmanship candidate George Ayugi cast his vote and noted that early logistical challenges had been resolved.
“There were a few teething problems in areas like Muhoroni and Kisumu West, particularly with some IDs not being captured in the KIEMS kits, but those issues have since been sorted out. Overall, the process is running perfectly,” Ayugi said.
Dida further highlighted the party’s adoption of technology in managing the elections, noting that results will be processed electronically without the need for a central tallying center.
“UDA has embraced technology. Once voting ends at 5 p.m., the system will automatically tabulate the results and declare winners,” he explained.
At Victoria Primary School, another aspirant, Beatrice Amondi, also expressed confidence in the process after casting her vote, praising the peaceful and orderly conduct witnessed throughout the day.
“There has been no chaos or confusion, which shows the party is well organized,” she said.
Amondi linked the high turnout to the party’s growing popularity, noting that large numbers of voters turning up reflect confidence in UDA’s leadership.
Voting is expected to continue until 5 p.m., after which the digital system will finalize results, marking a significant step in the party’s grassroots leadership restructuring.