NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 21 – UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar has defended remarks that sparked controversy over the possible use of deceased persons’ data in the 2027 General Election, telling the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) that his comments were made in a satirical context during a voter registration drive.
Appearing before the electoral commission, Omar said his remarks were part of an administrative mobilisation exercise focused on voter registration and the issuance of voter identification documents.
He dismissed reports suggesting that UDA was preparing to use deceased persons’ records, arguing that his comments had been taken out of context and politically spun.
“We are also in a political competition. So the the role of political spinning is quite there and therefore those who decided to spin it. In fact I saw a news item saying that UDA is preparing dead borders.
Omar said the immediate reaction from those present at the meeting, including laughter, demonstrated that the remarks were understood as satire within the political mobilisation setting.
He acknowledged, however, that the country’s competitive political environment had contributed to the interpretation of his comments.
“Nobody had reported it for two days because it was not the context. It was the satire in a meeting that they said as a side to a meeting that is of this nature that trying to mobilize people. So as I as I said there was expected um uh laughter at the onset even you can listen to the videos but then as um as received again uh politicians big politicians they don’t want to spin anything and everything,” Omar said
The UDA official said political actors were increasingly using statements made during campaigns to advance competing narratives, insisting that his remarks had not been intended to suggest that deceased persons would be used to manipulate the electoral process.
His appearance before the IEBC comes amid scrutiny of political statements and concerns about the integrity of voter registration ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The commission is also expected to address questions surrounding the security of biometric voter data and the safeguards in place to prevent its misuse.