The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties in Kenya has announced that 37 provisionally registered political parties have until around November 11 to complete the registration process if they want to participate in the 2027 General Election. Assistant Registrar of Political Parties Agatha Wahome stated that 99 parties are already fully registered and eligible to take part in the election.
According to Wahome, the 37 provisional parties are at different stages of completing the requirements for full registration. Some of the parties are undergoing final verification of their offices, a process that will determine whether they meet the requirements for full registration. Wahome noted that it's uncertain how many of the provisional parties will eventually receive full registration.
The registration of political parties in Kenya is conducted in two broad stages: provisional and full registration. The first stage involves reserving a party name, abbreviation, colors, and slogan. Applicants must also prepare a party constitution, nomination rules, and ideology, as well as hold a founding meeting involving at least three members while observing the two-thirds gender principle.
Once issued, a provisional registration certificate is valid for 270 days, during which the party must complete the requirements for full registration. These requirements include establishing a website, recruiting at least 1,000 registered voters in each of at least 24 counties, and maintaining gender and special-interest-group representation. A party must also establish a head office and branch offices in at least half of Kenya's 47 counties.
The registrar then verifies membership through integration with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and physically verifies the offices before issuing a full registration certificate. Wahome emphasized that parties need to be fully registered before submitting their nomination rules as electoral timelines continue to run.
The registrar's office is also preparing political parties for the next stages of the electoral process, including submission of nomination rules and party primaries. Wahome stated that the office is training internal dispute resolution committees and elections boards ahead of party nominations, while political party agents will also be trained later.
According to Wahome, the parties need to be fully registered by around November 11 to meet the electoral timelines. The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties is working to ensure that all parties comply with the requirements, and Wahome noted that some parties will go through the process while others may not.
Key points
- 37 Kenyan political parties face a November deadline to complete registration.
- 99 parties are already fully registered and eligible to participate in the 2027 General Election.
- Parties must meet specific requirements, including establishing a website and recruiting registered voters, to receive full registration.
