Government Spokesperson Charles Owino has broken his silence over remarks made by UDA Secretary-General (SG) Hassan Omar regarding the 2027 General Election.
Responding to a question during an interview, Owino described Hassan’s remarks as “careless,” saying he should take individual responsibility for what he said.
Owino further said the remarks did not reflect the official position of the United Democratic Alliance, adding that Omar would have to explain the statement in his individual capacity.
“The head of IEBC is supposed to take stern action against Hassan Omar because that is their mandate. It is equally a very careless statement; you don’t expect that kind of statement from a secretary general of a ruling party. It makes the situation very volatile, and for that reason, he would take responsibility for his statement as an individual.” Said Charles.
The government spokesperson distinguished between an official party position and comments made independently by an individual member, saying attention would now turn to whether UDA would take action over Omar’s remarks.
“There is a common statement by the party, agreed by the party. There is a statement you make as an excited individual and you take responsibility for it. The only thing that maybe every person will be waiting to see is what action is his party going to take.” He added.
Hassan Omar Statement
Owino’s comments came after UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar made controversial remarks about the 2027 General Election during a political engagement in Mombasa over the weekend.
Omar called on Coast residents to overwhelmingly support President William Ruto in the 2027 election, linking strong support for the President to the region’s prospects of securing government positions and development projects.
He also made remarks suggesting that the identities and fingerprints of people who had recently died could be used to facilitate voting in their names in support of Ruto. The comments sparked debate over the integrity and security of the 2027 electoral process.
“Even if someone has just died, we should take their finger before we bury them, put it into the BVR and cast their vote.” Omar said.
IEBC Responds to ‘Dead Voters’ Claims
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission(IEBC) has since rejected the suggestion that deceased people could be used to cast votes, saying Kenya’s biometric voter verification system uses both fingerprints and iris recognition.
IEBC Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana said the system is designed to verify the identity of voters at polling stations, making the scenario described by Omar impossible under the current biometric verification system.
The commission has also repeatedly warned political actors against making statements that could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
In May, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon described claims about plans to manipulate the 2027 election through extra-legal means as reckless, unacceptable and baseless.
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Police Put Politicians on Notice Ahead of 2027
The National Police Service (NPS) has similarly warned political leaders, supporters and other stakeholders against violence, incitement and disruption of lawful political gatherings as the country enters the electioneering period.
In a September 5 statement, the NPS said it would enforce the Public Order Act and warned that political intolerance, violence and thuggery would not be tolerated.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja has also outlined preparations for election security, with the police identifying political incitement, public disorder and election-related violence among the threats that must be addressed ahead of the 2027 polls.
The warnings come as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 General Election, with electoral and security agencies calling on political leaders to exercise responsibility and avoid rhetoric that could fuel tension, violence or mistrust in the electoral process.
