Over 291,000 Kenyans have registered for the 2026 United Democratic Alliance grassroots elections across 20 counties, with 8,942 polling centers set for contested races, National Elections Board Chairman Anthony Mwaura says.

The registration period has generated 187,699 participants competing for positions, while 80,760 candidates face no opposition, according to data released Tuesday.

Meru County leads with 32,342 registered candidates, surpassing its expected 20,860 by 11,482, with 592 polling centers preparing for contests.

Kakamega follows with 32,418 candidates against an expected 19,380, marking a 13,038 surplus.

However, eight counties fall short of expected participation. Kericho registers the widest gap with 7,300 fewer candidates than anticipated, recording only 4,680 against an expected 11,980. Baringo follows with 7,658 unfilled slots.

Across all counties, polling centers expect 237,940 candidates but have registered 291,161, creating a net surplus of 53,221 participants despite shortfalls in specific regions.

Laikipia County records the lowest contested races with only 57 polling centers, while Samburu follows with 22. Both counties show minimal competition, with 2,263 and 4,304 unopposed participants respectively.

In Mt. Kenya region, Murang’a County registers 19,737 candidates against an expected 11,940, exceeding targets by 7,797.

Tharaka Nithi follows the trend with 21,262 candidates against 11,920 expected, showing 9,342 surplus registrations.

Nyandarua County posts 17,655 candidates against 8,060 expected positions, while Kirinyaga records 11,602 against 6,380 anticipated participants.

The elections will feature varying competition levels across constituencies. In Kiambu, Thika Town constituency registers 2,181 candidates against 720 expected slots, while neighboring Kiambu constituency records only 38 registrations against 740 expected.

Rift Valley counties show mixed results. Uasin Gishu registers 13,570 candidates against 9,680 expected, surpassing targets by 3,890. Nakuru posts 21,281 against 20,880 expected, while Nandi records 13,232 against 13,640, falling short by 408.

In Western Kenya, Vihiga County nearly meets expectations with 7,326 registered candidates against 7,220 anticipated, showing a marginal surplus of 106.

The report, generated Jan. 7, captures registration progress ahead of the grassroots polls scheduled for later this year. Counties now face the task of managing the uneven distribution of candidates and ensuring adequate preparation for contested polling centers.