UDA Acquires Ngong’ Road Property for New Headquarters

The Deputy President William Ruto-led United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has acquired a commercial property along Ngong’ Road in Nairobi to host its new headquarters.

The building was previously associated with Edulink International College. Renovations are already being undertaken at the building which the party plans to unveil and move into in coming weeks.

Details of the deal including the cost of acquisition, however, remain undisclosed.

A year ago, soon after receiving its registration certificate from the Registrar of Political Parties, UDA unveiled its ‘Hustler Centre’ offices in Kilimani, Nairobi. The refurbished property has served as their headquarters since. UDA also started opening up smaller offices around the country.

The new Ngong’ Road location, however, is seen as more befitting of the party’s growing stature. Ruto is a front-runner for the Presidency, and thousands of candidates are angling for the party’s tickets to vie for various seats around the country.

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The party just made Ksh350 million in nomination fees. Male, female and youth gubernatorial aspirants paid Ksh500,000 Ksh250,000 and Ksh125,000 respectively to take part in the nomination exercises.

For the Senate, aspirants paid as follows: male (Ks250,000), female (Ksh125,000) and youth (Ksh125,000) while for Member of National Assembly, male aspirants paid Ksh250,000, female Ksh125,000 and youth Ksh125,000.

For the Woman Representative ticket, fees were Ksh.250,000 while youth aspirants paid Ksh125,000. Male MCA contenders were required to pay Ksh50,000 while their female and youth counterparts paid Ksh25,000 each.

UDA is today holding its nomination exercises across the country. While it has proceeded smoothly in some areas, there have been pockets of violence including in Embu where a lorry with ballot papers and boxes were raided and the items destroyed.

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