Hassan Omar: My speech on dead voters was figurative, not a call for electoral fraud

UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar has defended his controversial remarks about deceased people being registered as voters, telling an electoral committee that his words were meant to encourage voter participation and not promote electoral fraud ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Omar appeared before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) Electoral Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee in Nairobi on Wednesday, October 21, to explain comments he made during a political rally in Mombasa County on September 11.

His remarks drew public criticism after he appeared to suggest that fingerprints of deceased people could be collected before burial and used to cast votes in the next general election, raising concerns about the credibility of the electoral process.

Appearing before the committee, Omar said his statements had been taken out of context, maintaining that he was calling for more citizens to register as voters and exercise their democratic rights.

“It is not wrong to tell people to ask for historical wrongs to be remedied. That is to take advantage of a new wave of policy that allows them to register citizens and eventually exercise their right to vote,” he said.

The UDA official described his remarks as a call for greater public participation in elections, arguing that political leaders had a duty to encourage citizens to register and take part in choosing their leaders.

He also pointed to the IEBC’s responsibility in ensuring elections are conducted in line with the law, saying the commission remains in charge of delivering credible polls.

“The principal mandate, ultimately to deliver a free, fair, and credible election, is the mandate of the IEBC,” he told the committee.

Omar further argued that registering deceased people as voters and using their identities to cast ballots was not practically possible, insisting that his comments were figurative and should not be understood as a call to manipulate the election.

He defended his choice of words by referring to political expressions used during previous election campaigns, saying forceful political language did not automatically amount to an instruction to break the law.

Omar also addressed phrases associated with political mobilisation and the counting of votes, arguing that they were not intended to suggest that his party would independently announce election results.

“In fact, I was in that formation then. We didn't declare our own results, and it was never a crime then to simply agitate for prudence and vigilance,” he said.

The dispute comes as political parties begin positioning themselves for the 2027 General Election, with the accuracy of the voters’ register and the security of biometric identification systems remaining key concerns in preparations for the polls.

Following the remarks made in Mombasa in September, the IEBC summoned Omar to appear before its Electoral Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee on October 21.

The commission said the matter would be handled under the Electoral Code of Conduct contained in the Second Schedule of the Elections Act, 2011.

The summons gave Omar an opportunity to explain his remarks and respond to the concerns raised before the committee reaches a determination. His appearance before the panel does not, on its own, establish that he committed an electoral offence.

Omar’s defence rests on his position that his words were intended to encourage voter registration and should be understood in the context of political mobilisation rather than as support for electoral malpractice.

The controversy has renewed attention on the language used by political leaders when discussing elections, particularly as parties prepare for another national vote and public confidence in the process remains important.

The IEBC is constitutionally mandated to oversee elections and ensure they comply with the law, including the requirement that polls are free, fair and credible.

The committee’s consideration of Omar’s remarks comes less than a year before the 2027 election cycle gathers further momentum, placing renewed focus on the conduct of political leaders and the protection of the electoral process.