Hassan Omar Says Dead Voters Remark Was Coastal Satire, Not a Literal Plan

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary-General Hassan Omar has explained controversial comments in which he suggested using deceased voters to reelect President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during an engagement at UDA headquarters on Tuesday, September 15, Omar stated that critics had misunderstood his comments, explaining that his political communication frequently relies on coastal metaphors, proverbs, and satire.

He pointed out that his style of communication in Nairobi differs from how he speaks in Mombasa, where political figures routinely use regional cultural expressions. Omar urged those unfamiliar with Mombasa’s unique political rhetoric not to take his statements literally.

“I have used this as an opportunity because, as politicians, whenever we get a forum, we express our views and thoughts. I urge those who do not understand Kiswahili from Mombasa, or who do not understand the satire and metaphors used in politics, not to come to these meetings, lest they misinterpret our words and their meaning,” he stated.

Related – Karua Warns UDA’s “Dead Voter” Comments Threaten 2027 Election Integrity

The Secretary-General added that his primary concern is not whether UDA will win the next election, but how losing candidates will respond to the final outcome. He argued that opposition figures are deliberately distorting his words to lay the groundwork for rejecting an unfavorable result.

“There are people who want to tarnish our reputation. Our concern is not about winning; we have won, by God’s grace. Our concern is about those who may lose and the likelihood that they may refuse to accept the outcome, claiming that we stole from them or engaged in other wrongdoing. They are already building the narrative of a loser in waiting,” he said.

Omar insisted that he spoke within the framework of robust political debate and that his words were never intended as a literal plan to include deceased citizens in election exercises.

His clarification follows a public statement from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which dismissed the possibility of deceased persons voting under Kenya’s biometric electoral system.

IEBC Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana explained that the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) authenticates voters through multiple biometric indicators, including live fingerprint and iris scans, preventing unauthorized or non-biometric voting.

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