'Dead voters': Fury, uproar over UDA boss Hassan Omar’s 2027 election claim

The 2027 General Election has been drawn into a fresh credibility storm after UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar suggested that the fingerprints of deceased voters could be used to cast ballots for President William Ruto.

The remarks have triggered sharp reactions from government and opposition politicians, with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) now under pressure to explain how it will prevent deceased voters from being used to manipulate the election.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has since warned politicians over remarks that could derail efforts by the government to restore confidence in the electoral process, while former Deputy President and DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, separately demanded answers from IEBC chairman Erastus Ethekon, challenging the commission to explain how it is cleaning the voters’ register and protecting the electoral process from abuse.

Speaking during his tour of the United States, Mr Gachagua said the electoral agency must publicly address Mr Omar’s comments and assure Kenyans that the 2027 election will be free and fair.

“I have seen UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar saying even dead voters will vote. We want IEBC to issue a statement to tell us, who are these dead voters and what is the UDA secretary-general saying?” Mr Gachagua said.

His remarks followed comments by Mr Omar in Mombasa in which the UDA official appeared to suggest that political actors should fight for every possible vote, including those belonging to people who had died.

“On election day, we have to fight for every vote. Even if someone has died, we should take their fingerprint before they are buried, use it in the BVR system and cast a vote even for someone who died that very day,” Mr Omar said.

“Even the one we are burying today, that is our vote because that vote is our bullet, our shield. We cannot go back to where we were before."

The comments have raised questions about whether Mr Omar was using political rhetoric to emphasise voter mobilisation or highlighting vulnerabilities that could be exploited during the election.

For the opposition, however, the remarks have provided fresh ammunition in its longstanding concerns over the integrity of the voters’ register and possible electoral manipulation.

He challenged Dr Ethekon to act on the allegations and ensure the electoral commission does not become a source of political tension ahead of the polls.

“We are telling Ethekon to shape up and not burn the country by doing the right thing,” Mr Gachagua said, while accusing the commission leadership of bias and incompetence.

The latest controversy by Mr Omar has also drawn a warning from Mr Mudavadi, who urged politicians to avoid inflammatory statements as the country heads towards the 2027 elections.

Mr Mudavadi said politicians should consider the impact of their words, particularly when making claims about how the next election will be won.

“Sometimes politicians we are culprits. How we convey our messages can also offend people,” he said.

He appeared to take issue with statements suggesting that President Ruto would win the election regardless of the circumstances.“We should not say, President Ruto will win either you like it or not. Others say even if it is stealing votes, he has to win next term."

 Mr Mudavadi urged leaders supporting the President to pursue his re-election through legitimate political mobilisation and the ballot.“I want to advise my colleagues in politics, don't say that because the victory we want for President Ruto should be fair, constitutional, legal, peaceful, must be through the ballot and by the people.

His remarks provided a clear distinction between the ruling coalition’s political campaign and the official requirement that the President’s re-election must be determined by voters through a lawful process.

Mr Sifuna has meanwhile called on the IEBC to summon Mr Omar over the remarks.

"Uphold integrity"

Speaking in Kabuchai Constituency on Saturday, Mr Sifuna accused the UDA official of undermining public confidence in Kenya’s electoral process and said the commission should not ignore comments by a senior official of the ruling party.

“We want the IEBC, because you are the ones responsible for upholding the integrity of the electoral process.

The UDA Secretary-General should be summoned before the IEBC because he is eroding public confidence in our electoral processes,” Mr Sifuna said.

He dismissed the suggestion that votes associated with deceased Kenyans could determine the outcome, insisting that even if such votes were included, President Ruto would still lose the election.

The exchange has pushed the voters’ register back to the centre of the political debate, months before the 2027 campaign enters its most intense phase.

The register has historically been one of the most contentious aspects of Kenya’s elections, with political parties raising concerns over deceased voters, voter transfers, biometric identification and the security of election technology.

The controversy comes as President Ruto’s allies intensify efforts to secure his re-election and prevent what they describe as a possible one-term presidency.