Political parties in kenya help to promote democracy. They offer alternative polices from being pursued by the government.
Kenya is a multiparty democracy whereby many political parties are allowed to participate in national and civic elections.
Usually the party with better policies and programs for the country wins the election and forms the government as the ruling party.
In Kenya, a person can only be a member of one political party. Once a person’s name has been entered into the membership register of a political party, the person becomes a member of that party until such a time when the name is removed and entered into the register of another political party.
The office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) is mandated to regulate the formation, registration, and funding of political parties in accordance with the Constitution and rule of law.
Keep reading this article to learn more about the polictical parties in Kenya and their roles.
Roles of Political Parties in Kenya
In a democracy country like Kenya, political parties play the following functions:
1. They promote freedom of association that allow people to belong to a political party of their choice.
Where there are many political parties, there are higher chances of the people’s beliefs and wishes to being carted for.
They also increase their chances of selection as many political parties provide opportunity for candidates who are denied freedom from one party to join another.
2. Political parties also provide an alternative government in situations where the ruling party fails to meet the needs of the people.
The opposition party can put the government on its toes as they monitor the activities of the government on behalf of wananchi.
In a situation where there is only the ruling party, wananchi will not be aware of the poor performance of the government.
Political parties in parliament will help make good laws for the country as they correct bad policies of the government.
The presence of the political parties in parliament and other government institutions ensures that the government spend the revenue collected for the welfare of the people.
3. Political parties educate wananchi on national issues and the problems facing the country and the solutions to the problems.
They do so as they hold rallies when they campaign for the various seats in their effort to win the elections.
Political parties use newspapers, radio and television to give information to wananchi and encourage them to vote hence encouraging them to exercise their right to vote and elect wise leaders of their choice.
Above all political parties make democracy to work and when they are active they encourage wananchi to participate in national affairs.
How to register a political party
The Political Parties Act, 2011 provides for the registration, regulation, and funding of political parties.
There are two steps of registering a political party:
a) Provisional registration. Applicants are required to:
Name Search: Name, symbol, and colour.
Provide Party Constitution.
Submit Minutes of the founding members.
Sign Code of Conduct.
Submit a written application filed in the prescribed form.
Pay the prescribed fee (Ksh. 100,000.00) in bankers cheque.
b) Full registration Requirements:
1000 members in at least 24 counties: regional diversity, gender, minorities and marginalized
Governing body: 2/3 gender principle; Chapter 6 of the Constitution; Integrity test in accordance with the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2012.; List of names address and IDs of members
Location and address of Head Office and at least 24 county offices
Duly signed Code of conduct
Prescribed fee (Ksh. 500,000.00) in bankers cheque
How much it costs to register a political party
The fees payable to the Office of the Registrar:
Search fee – Kshs. 500.00
Provisional registration – Kshs. 100,000.00
Full registration – Kshs. 500,000.00
Note: Political parties that meet the threshold provided under Sec 25(2) of the PPA 2011 are eligible for funding for the political parties fund.
They can also get their funding from donations, membership contributions and other lawful sources.
How to cease to be a member of a political party
Voluntary resignation – by giving a resignation letter to the party and/or Registrar.
Expulsion – through the established party mechanisms.
Deeming – where a member acts in a manner that suggests he is in or supporting another political party, apart from a party that is in the same coalition.
Natural attrition – when a person dies they automatically cease to be a member of a party.
Write a letter of resignation. Address it to the secretary general of the party from which you are resigning. Submit copies of the letter, and your ID to our offices, or scan and e-mail to info@orpp.or.ke
If a party fraudulently enlists you, you can write to the Registrar who will then delete your details. Send a complaint e-mail with National Identification Number included to info@orpp.or.ke
List of All Registered Political Parties in Kenya
This is a list of all registered political parties in Kenya as of 2019 by The Registrar Of Political Parties.
[PARTY CODE] [PARTY NAME] [ABBREVIATION] [SYMBOL]
001 NATIONAL RAINBOW COALITION - (KENYA NARC- KENYA) - (FLOWER)
002 THE NATIONAL VISION PARTY (NVP) - (LIGHT HOUSE)
003 THE LABOUR PARTY OF KENYA (LPK) - (STAR)
005 MWANGAZA TU PARTY (MTP) - (NYUMBA)
007 PARTY OF INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES OF KENYA PICK- (CHILD)
008 RESTORE AND BUILD KENYA (RBK)- (THE RISING SUN)
009 KENYA NATIONAL CONGRESS (KNC) - (KEY)
010 MAZINGIRA GREENS PARTY OF KENYA (MGPK) - (TREE)
011 NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT (NDM) (GREEN COMPASS)
012 WIPER DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT - KENYA (WDM-K) - (UMBRELLA)
013 DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF KENYA (DP)- (LANTERN)
014 PARTY OF NATIONAL UNITY (PNU) - (TWO TORCHES WITH FLAMES)
015 PARTY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND REFORM (PDR) - (BULL)
017 AGANO PARTY (AGANO) - (LAMB)
019 KENYA SOCIAL CONGRESS (KSC) - (BROOM)
021 ORANGE DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT (ODM) - (ORANGE)
022 PEOPLES PARTY OF KENYA (PPK) - (MICROPHONE)
023 FORUM FOR RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY - KENYA (FORD- KENYA) - (LION)
025 PROGRESSIVE PARTY OF KENYA (PPOK) - (BATTERY TORCH)
027 JUBILEE PARTY (JP) - (CLASPED HANDS)
028 MODERN ALLIANCE PARTY (MAP) - (CAMERA)
029 NATIONAL RAINBOW COALITION (NARC) - (TRADITIONAL AFRICAN TORCH) (MWENGE)
030 KENYA AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC UNION - ASILI (KADU - ASILI) - (COCONUT TREE)
031 KENYA PATRIOTS PARTY (KPP) - (WHEEL)
032 SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF KENYA (SDP) - (SAA)
033 KENYA AFRICAN NATIONAL UNION (KANU) - (COCKEREL)
034 SAFINA SAFINA SAFINA
036 CHAMA CHA UZALENDO (CCU) - (WHISTLE)
037 NATIONAL AGENDA PARTY OF KENYA (NAPK) - (TEACHER)
038 PEOPLES EMPOWERMENT PARTY (PEP) - (ELEPHANT)
039 PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) (TRADITIONAL AFRICAN BANJO)
040 NEW DEMOCRATS (ND) - (BRIDGE)
041 UNITED DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT (UDM) - (A CRANE)
042 SHIRIKISHO PARTY OF KENYA (SPK) - (FISH)
044 PARTY OF DEMOCRATIC UNITY (PDU) - (DRUM)
045 SISI KWA SISI PARTY (SSP) - (TRAIN)
046 FRONTIER ALLIANCE PARTY (FAP) - (A MILKING GUARD)
047 FARMERS PARTY (FP) - (MAIZE PLANT)
048 ECONOMIC FREEDOM PARTY (EFP) - (ACACIA TREE)
049 FEDERAL PARTY OF KENYA (FPK) - (FIST)
050 MUUNGANO PARTY (MUUNGANO) - (TWO INTERLOCKING RINGS)
051 NATIONAL PARTY OF KENYA (NPK) - (BOOK)
052 MZALENDO SABA SABA PARTY (MSS) - (OPEN DOOR)
054 CHAMA CHA MASHINANI (CCM) (THE TRUMPET)
055 ALLIANCE FOR REAL CHANGE (ARK) - (ARK)
056 FORUM FOR REPUBLICAN DEMOCRACY (FORD) (TWO FINGERS RAISED)
058 REPUBLICAN LIBERTY PARTY (RLP) - (THE HORSE)
059 ROOTS PARTY OF KENYA (RPK) - (THE TREE)
061 CITIZENS CONVENTION PARTY (CCP) - (FISHING NET)
062 AMANI NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC) - (OLIVE BRANCH)
063 DEVOLUTION PARTY OF KENYA (DPK) - (TAP WITH RUNNING WATER)
064 UNITED DEMOCRATIC PARTY (UDP) - (SHIELD)
065 DILIGENCE DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE (DDA) - (OSTRICH)
066 PEOPLES TRUST PARTY (PTP) - (ARROW)
067 MAENDELEO CHAP CHAP PARTY (MCCP) (ROAD)
068 DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (DC) - (BUTTERFLY)
069 LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (LDP) - (SATELLITE DISH)
070 GREEN CONGRESS OF KENYA (GCK) - (GREEN TREES)
071 NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY (NLP) - (GIRAFFE)
072 MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRACY AND GROWTH (MDG) - (MAIZE)
073 ALTERNATIVE LEADERSHIP PARTY OF KENYA (ALPK) - (BURNING CANDLE)
074 UKWELI PARTY (UP) - (U-SHAPED SUGARCANE)
075 EMPOWERMENT AND LIBERATION PARTY (ELP) - (TUSHIKANE)
076 THIRDWAY ALLIANCE KENYA (TAK) - (CAMEL)
077 JUSTICE AND FREEDOM PARTY (JFP) (A HAND HOLDING FREEDOM TORCH)
078 GRAND DREAM DEVELOPMENT PARTY (GDDP) (SACK OF DREAMS)
