Ruto Targets Doubling 2022 Vote Tally in 2027 Election

President William Ruto has said he is confident of doubling the number of votes he received in the 2022 General Election when he seeks re-election in 2027, citing plans for aggressive mobilisation and expansion of the ruling party’s national reach.

Speaking on January 17, 2026, during a meeting with grassroots leaders from Nyeri County at Sagana State Lodge, the President said the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) would focus on first-time voters and Kenyans who did not participate in the last election.

“Zile kura tulipata 2022 tunataka ziwe mara mbili,” Ruto said, adding that those who did not vote with UDA in 2022 would support the party in the next polls.

More than 17,000 leaders elected as polling centre officials attended the Sagana meeting.

In the 2022 presidential contest, Ruto won 7,176,141 votes, representing 50.49 per cent of the total, narrowly defeating his closest challenger, the late Raila Odinga, who garnered 6,942,930 votes, or 48.85 per cent.

The election was held on August 9, 2022, with approximately 22.1 million registered voters eligible to cast ballots, millions of whom did not turn out.

Ruto said his administration had laid a strong foundation for political and economic continuity and urged party officials to prepare for an intensified grassroots recruitment and voter registration drive ahead of 2027.

He noted that UDA was being restructured into a mass national party capable of sustaining Kenya’s development agenda beyond a single electoral cycle.

“We are building UDA into a truly national political party that can carry forward our transformation agenda,” the President said, emphasising unity, collaboration and long-term planning.

Ruto also defended his record in office, saying the government had remained committed to the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda over the past three years. He pointed to investments in infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, human capital development and industrialisation as indicators of progress toward a more inclusive economy.

The President cautioned against divisive politics, saying leadership and development could not be achieved through “noise, threats, insults or tribalism,” but through humility, hard work and cooperation.

He urged supporters to prioritise political organisation over confrontation as the country prepares for the next election cycle.

The Sagana meeting comes amid renewed internal activity within UDA, as the ruling party conducts nationwide grassroots elections and prepares for coalition negotiations ahead of 2027.

Political analysts say Ruto’s “times two” vote target reflects confidence in his re-election bid while also acknowledging the significant number of eligible voters who either abstained or were not registered in 2022. 

The voter register is expected to expand further with the addition of new youth voters before the next polls.

Ruto called on grassroots officials to spearhead voter registration efforts and strengthen party structures at polling centres, saying early preparation would be critical to success in 2027.