BY JOYCE KIFALU
OCTOBER 5, 2026
MOMBASA, Kenya — United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leaders in Mombasa have stepped up grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 General Election, with Secretary-General Hassan Omar Hassan and Mombasa Women Representative aspirant Fatma Barayan holding a consultative meeting with village elders and Nyumba Kumi representatives in Kisauni.
The meeting brought together grassroots leaders who the UDA team described as an important link between political leaders and residents at the household level.
Barayan said the engagement was aimed at listening to residents’ concerns while strengthening grassroots structures ahead of the 2027 elections.
She said village elders and Nyumba Kumi representatives understand the challenges affecting families in their respective communities and can therefore help communicate residents’ concerns to political leaders.
Discussions focused on the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, economic empowerment for women and young people, and the political team being assembled by UDA in Mombasa.
The leaders also discussed the proposed use of the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) to support women, youth and other groups targeted by affirmative-action programmes.
Barayan has made women and youth empowerment a key part of her political agenda. During a voter-sensitisation forum in Nyali in September, she said women and young people should benefit from greater opportunities in skills development, trade and access to economic resources.
“Our women and youth deserve an economy that grows with them, through skills, trade, and fair opportunity,” Barayan said during the September forum.
Her latest engagement comes as she campaigns for the Mombasa Woman Representative position while supporting Hassan Omar’s bid for the Mombasa governorship.
Hassan Omar has publicly declared his intention to contest the Mombasa governor’s seat in 2027 and has been conducting grassroots meetings across the county.
The UDA team said such engagements are intended to strengthen communication with residents and ensure grassroots concerns feature in its political agenda.
Barayan also said the team was working to build what she described as a “5FRESH” political team in Mombasa while supporting President William Ruto’s bid for a second term.
The leaders linked the Bottom-Up agenda to economic opportunities for women, youth and small-scale traders, while calling for stronger grassroots networks across the county.
Barayan previously contested the Mombasa Woman Representative seat in the 2022 General Election and has remained active in programmes focused on women and youth empowerment. She has also served as chairperson of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund.
Hassan Omar’s gubernatorial ambitions have increasingly featured in Mombasa’s political landscape as parties and individual politicians position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Kisauni meeting is part of the wider mobilisation efforts by UDA leaders as they seek to strengthen their grassroots networks and engage residents on economic and political issues ahead of the next General Election.
