Kindiki assures fair 2027 polls amid Hassan Omar's controversial remarks

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Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has assured Kenyans and development partners that the 2027 General Election will be free, fair and verifiable.

Kindiki, speaking on Wednesday, September 16, said there would be no compromise on the election's integrity as debate over the management of the voters’ register and electoral transparency intensifies ahead of next year’s polls.

“We want to assure our development partners, Kenyans and the world that Kenya will have a free, fair, verifiable election. There will be no compromise on the credibility of the election,” Kindiki said.

DP Kindiki: Kenya is a space for open democratic engagement, 2027 elections will be free and fair pic.twitter.com/gnzufgSVNC — The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) September 16, 2026

His remarks come days after controversial comments by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary-General Hassan Omar about the possibility of deceased Kenyans being used to cast votes in the 2027 election.

Omar’s remarks appeared to suggest that the fingerprints of deceased Kenyans could be used to cast votes for President William Ruto.

“On election day, we have to fight for every vote. Even if someone has died, we should take their fingerprint before they are buried, use it in the BVR system and cast a vote even for someone who died that very day,” Mr Omar said.

“Even the one we are burying today, that is our vote because that vote is our bullet, our shield. We cannot go back to where we were before.”

The remarks drew criticism, with opposition figures and other Kenyans questioning the credibility of the electoral process.

However, in response, Omar said he was referring to voter mobilisation and turnout, not suggesting that deceased Kenyans would literally cast ballots.

“We used something called a metaphor. Where did you go to school? Which school did you go to? Or do you think we did not go to school and do not know how to express ourselves that every vote must count on the day of the election?” posed Omar, adding that his reference to people turning out “in a frenzy” was also figurative.

“So we will turn out in a frenzy. That is the metaphor. Who does not understand?” Omar said.

Omar accused his critics of deliberately taking his remarks out of context and maintained that his message was about mobilising voters to participate in the election.