Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has challenged UDA’s grassroots officials in Meru to take ownership of the party’s 2027 campaign by using their positions to explain the Kenya Kwanza government’s record to voters.
Kindiki told more than 20,000 UDA polling station officials gathered at Kinoru Stadium on Friday that their proximity to voters made them central to the party’s efforts ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He said the officials were not merely party representatives but the people responsible for carrying UDA’s message to voters at the most basic level of the political structure.
“You are very important. You are the spokespersons of the party at the polling centres where you have been elected. Those 20 officials are leaders of the party, and you are in charge of promoting the party, speaking on behalf of the party, and speaking on behalf of the President at that polling centre. You are the party,” he said.
The Deputy President said his meeting with the officials was meant to appreciate the time and resources they had committed to building and protecting the party while preparing them with information on the Government’s performance.
Meru has about 25,000 elected grassroots officials, with 20 officials chosen at every polling station earlier this year. Across the country, UDA’s grassroots network has grown to more than two million officials.
Kindiki said the officials had continued to support the party using their own resources, despite national leaders spending much of their time in Nairobi.
“I don't know whether you understand how important you are to our party, because the leaders, like the President, the Fireman and Members of Parliament, are in Nairobi. You are the bosses of the party at the polling centre, where the vote is cast,” he said.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on September 4, 2026 during a meeting with Meru County UDA Polling Centre Officials at Kinoru Stadium .
He used the meeting to question claims by opposition parties that they have strong grassroots structures, arguing that UDA had gone further by holding elections to establish its officials at polling-centre level.
“So many parties claim that they have grassroots leaders, but there are no elections that have been conducted at the grassroots level by those parties,” he said.
Kindiki said UDA officials would have to be familiar with the Government’s work so that they can respond to questions from voters when campaigns for the 2027 election begin.
He listed roads, agriculture, education, healthcare and programmes for young people among the areas where the administration would present its record.
“When we come here with President Ruto next year to campaign, we will list our achievements in Meru and all parts of the Country including roads, healthcare, education, etc. When they come, let them also account for their time in office,” he said.
The Deputy President cited changes in the cost of agricultural inputs, saying subsidised fertiliser had dropped from Sh7,500 in 2022 to Sh2,500. He added that the Government had announced a further Sh500 reduction this week.
He also pointed to the cost of maize flour, saying the administration was working towards a Sh100 price for a two-kilogramme packet.
Kindiki said the Government had expanded infrastructure in the education sector through the construction of 23,000 classrooms and 1,600 laboratories, while plans were underway to recruit 120,000 teachers.
He said technical training had also attracted more students, with enrolment rising from 297,000 in 2022 to 718,000.
In healthcare, Kindiki said 32.3 million Kenyans had registered under Taifa Care, compared with eight million people registered under NHIF.
He announced several projects for Meru, including Sh1 billion for the upgrade of Meru Level Five Hospital to a Level Six facility.
The Government has also set aside Sh44 billion for more than 500 kilometres of additional tarmac roads in the county, he said.
Kindiki further said Meru Dairy would receive another Sh200 million to increase milk production and processing.
The Deputy President said the 2027 contest should be based on what political parties had done and what they planned to do, rather than slogans and political nicknames.
He said the administration was prepared to defend its record directly before Kenyans when the campaign period begins.
“President William Ruto and I are ready to face the people of Kenya eye to eye, face to face, and explain what this government has done in the last five years,” he said.