Africa-Press – Kenya. President William Ruto has said no political party in Kenya’s history has ever attracted the number of aspirants currently seeking tickets under his party, describing the surge as a clear signal of its growing national appeal and political dominance.
Ruto revealed that the number of aspirants who have so far registered to contest various elective positions has risen to 12,235, barely a week after the registration exercise was opened.
“Kesho nitakuwa hapa na aspirants. 12,235, na sio wapigaji kura, wale wanataka kupigiwa kura,” the President said with a smile, referring to a planned aspirants’ meeting at State House on Wednesday.
He contrasted the figures with past political formations, noting that even during the Jubilee Party era, the numbers never reached such levels.
“No political party has ever attracted this number of aspirants. Even when we were in Jubilee, we never got to this number,” Ruto said.
The President made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting with leaders from Meru County.
On Monday, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announced that 9,165 aspirants had already registered across all elective positions, from governor to member of county assembly (MCA).
The updated figures released by the President show a sharp increase as more hopefuls beat the registration deadline ahead of the State House meeting.
According to President Ruto, the high turnout reflects both the party’s national reach and the intense competition expected during the primaries.
“Watu wanasoma mambo kwa ground na wanajua serikali inaenda kuundwa mahali pale. It is only a few people who cannot see where the government is going to be formed,” he said.
He suggested that many aspirants believe the party is best positioned to form the next government.
The detailed breakdown released by Kindiki shows strong interest across all levels of leadership.
A total of 139 aspirants registered for gubernatorial positions, while 240 expressed interest in Senate seats.
For the National Assembly, 1,205 aspirants registered to contest the 290 constituencies, signalling stiff competition for parliamentary tickets.
The Woman Representative race attracted 274 aspirants.
The largest numbers, however, were recorded at the grassroots level.
A total of 7,307 aspirants registered to vie for 1,450 MCA ward seats, underscoring the high stakes at the county level and the importance of local leadership in shaping national politics.
Party officials say the registration exercise was deliberately opened early to allow sufficient time for vetting, dispute resolution and preparation ahead of the primaries.
As the party prepares to host aspirants at State House, attention will now turn to how it manages the crowded field while maintaining unity and public confidence in the nomination process.
