UDA Embarks on Ambitious Plan for Leadership School Modeled After China's Communist Party System
In a move that has sparked both praise and controversy, Kenya's ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party has announced plans to establish the UDA Leadership School, drawing inspiration from the Communist Party of China's (CPC) longstanding cadre training model.
The initiative aims to transform UDA from a mere electoral vehicle into a permanent ideological institution focused on discipline, governance, and grassroots mobilization. As of February 1, 2026, a high-level UDA delegation is in China benchmarking best practices, highlighting deepening ties between the two parties.
Led by UDA Secretary General Senator Hassan Omar and Executive Director Nicodemus Bore, the delegation is currently in Zhejiang Province, engaging with CPC leaders and touring the Zhejiang Provincial Party School.
This visit, part of a multi-year collaboration that began in 2023, focuses on adopting elements of the CPC's "century-long expertise in cadre training and disciplined grassroots mobilization."
UDA officials are studying the "Double Eight Strategy," an ideological framework credited with driving Zhejiang's economic success through societal prosperity, private sector synergy, and institutional discipline.
The CPC's model emphasizes strict top-down hierarchy under "democratic centralism," with a focus on ideological orientation, public policy, leadership ethics, and anti-corruption measures. In China, corrupt officials, including high-ranking military personnel, face severe penalties like execution or imprisonment— a stark contrast to perceptions of impunity in Kenyan politics.
UDA hopes to incorporate these elements to foster integrity, accountability, and long-term governance, with the school set to train elected leaders, party officials, aspiring candidates, and grassroots organizers. The party's new headquarters in Nairobi will integrate the leadership school, with construction and design influenced by this benchmarking.
UDA has emphasized that the school will promote democratic values, public service, and national development, positioning it as a tool for combating corruption and enhancing party structures.
The announcement has elicited a range of responses from Kenyans, reflecting the polarized political landscape. Supporters within UDA praise the move as a step toward professionalizing leadership and ensuring the party's longevity beyond elections.
