Ruto to Launch UDA Party School to Train Future Leaders Beyond Elections

Kenya’s ruling party, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), is preparing to establish a leadership school inspired by China’s political training system, in a move aimed at strengthening the party beyond election campaigns.

The initiative seeks to transform UDA from a party focused mainly on winning elections into a long-term ideological and leadership institution that nurtures future political leaders across the country.

A UDA delegation led by Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan is currently in China to study the Communist Party’s approach to leadership training, grassroots mobilisation, and institutional development. The team was welcomed in Hangzhou by Lu Qingmin, the deputy principal of the Zhejiang Provincial Party School, marking a key milestone in UDA’s efforts to build a structured training system.

The delegation includes Senator Danson Mungatana, Women’s Representative Cecilia Ngetit, Senior Adviser Prof. Edward Kisiangani, UDA Executive Director Nicodemus Bore, and other party officials.

According to UDA leaders, the proposed party school is already at an advanced stage, with the party looking to adopt globally recognised frameworks from well-established political institutions known for discipline, organisation, and long-term governance strategies.

President William Ruto’s party aims to go beyond electoral success by creating a sustainable institution that equips both current and future leaders with leadership, governance, and organisational skills. The benchmarking visit to the Zhejiang Provincial Party School is intended to help UDA integrate best practices in political discipline, governance structures, and systematic leadership development into its training model.

Background of the UDA Party

UDA’s journey began in February 2012 as the Party of Action, founded by Hillary Yegon. Over the years, it evolved through several transformations, including its rebranding in 2017 as the Party of Development and Reforms, before officially becoming the United Democratic Alliance in December 2020 under the “hustler nation” narrative.

In the 2022 general election, UDA emerged as the dominant party within the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, helping William Ruto secure the presidency and winning a significant number of parliamentary seats across the country.

By January 2026, the party had intensified its grassroots activities, with President Ruto recently engaging more than 17,000 polling centre officials in Nyeri as part of efforts to strengthen UDA’s local structures ahead of the 2027 elections.