The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary-General Hassan Omar has sparked debate over the integrity of the 2027 General Election after suggesting that dead voters could be used to cast ballots in favour of President William Ruto.
Speaking during a political engagement in Mombasa on September 11, Omar suggested that the fingerprints of people who had recently died should be taken before burial and used to cast votes in their names.
“Two-term William Ruto, on election day, we too will be in a do-or-die battle. Even if someone has died, we should take their finger before we bury them, put it into the BVR and cast a vote. Even someone who has died today.”
Hassan Omar Announces Candidacy for Mombasa Governor Race
He made the remarks shortly after officially declaring his bid for the Mombasa gubernatorial seat in the 2027 General Election.
Omar announced his candidacy during a rally in Jomvu, Mombasa, where he also took aim at incumbent Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, saying he should prepare for a one-term tenure.
The UDA Secretary-General accused the county administration of failing Mombasa residents and criticized its record of governance.
Omar pledged to pursue changes in the county’s leadership and implement structural reforms if elected governor.
The Dead Voting?
His comments come against the backdrop of previous concerns over the presence of deceased persons on Kenya’s voter register.
On August 10, Transparency International Kenya Executive Director Sheila Masinde called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to conduct a comprehensive audit of the national voter register and remove the names of deceased voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Masinde said concerns over the accuracy and integrity of the voter register have persisted through successive election cycles and have featured in presidential and other electoral petitions.
“We need a thorough audit of the register so that those voters, for instance those who were deceased, and names that need to be removed are removed before then because there have always been questions around that,” Masinde stated.
Ahead of the 2022 General Election, an independent audit by KPMG identified several anomalies in the 22.5 million-record voter database, including 246,465 deceased voters listed on the roll.
IEBC subsequently removed the deceased voters from the register before the August 2022 election, as part of efforts to clean up the electoral roll.
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Plot to Rig Elections?
Allegations of a plot to manipulate the 2027 General Election have intensified, with opposition leaders pointing to election technology, the voter register and remarks by politicians allied to President William Ruto.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused the IEBC and government of laying the groundwork to rig the election through a proposed new Integrated Elections Management System.
Gachagua claims the procurement process is being tailored to favour South Korean firm Miru Systems and has warned that migrating to a new system could be used to interfere with the voter register.
Concerns over a possible rigging scheme have also been fuelled by remarks from several politicians associated with the ruling coalition.
In 2025, Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Jehow and Tiaty MP William Kamket made statements that critics interpreted as suggesting the ruling coalition would secure President Ruto’s re-election by whatever means necessary.
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