UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar Appears Before IEBC Over Dead Voter Comments

UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar attended a hearing of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s Electoral Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, after being summoned over statements about deceased voters.

The committee met at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi. The summons related to remarks he made at a political rally in Mombasa County on September 11, 2026, where he suggested that the fingerprint of a person who had died could be taken before burial and used with the biometric voter registration system to cast a vote.

The comments, delivered in Swahili, were translated as indicating that even a dead individual’s finger should be removed before interment and then used to vote through the BVR. Critics said the suggestion threatened the integrity of the upcoming 2027 General Election.

Omar later issued a statement on September 15, asserting that his words had been misread and were intended as a metaphor to encourage voter mobilisation. He quoted, “Tukatoa kitu zinaitwa metaphor”, and added that his message was about ensuring every eligible voter’s ballot is counted on election day.

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon confirmed on October 14 that the issue would be considered under the Electoral Code of Conduct in the Second Schedule of the Elections Act, 2011. He said, “The Committee will make its determination only after considering the material and representations before it,”.

The commission also urged all political actors and supporters to observe restraint and responsibility in public statements as the 2027 polls approach, calling for an electoral environment based on peace, tolerance, respect for the rule of law and democratic participation.