For anyone dreaming of launching a political party in Kenya, the road is clear—but demanding. Every party must pass through a detailed process that tests its leadership, membership, and organizational framework before it can operate nationwide.
John Cox Lorionokou, Registrar of Political Parties, explained in an interview with Radio Generation that registering a political party follows a clear, multi-stage process. “It’s a process. It starts with expressing your intention to register a party. You come to the office, and we give you the preliminary stages,” he said.
The first step is reserving a party name and slogan, which comes with a 90-day reservation period. These are carefully checked to ensure they are not offensive or misleading to the public.
Next, aspiring parties must submit a list of founding members. Each member undergoes verification to ensure they meet the integrity standards outlined in Chapter Six of the Constitution.
“We check to make sure these members are people of integrity. Chapter Six is a big deal,” Lorionokou emphasized. The checks are carried out in collaboration with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Intelligence Service.
After approval of the founding members, parties draft a constitution outlining their governance structure, ideology, and operational rules. Meeting these preliminary requirements earns the party a provisional certificate, giving them 270 days to complete the final registration steps.
The last stage requires establishing functional offices in at least 24 counties, each serving a minimum of 1,000 registered voters. “If somebody in Mombasa walks to your county office, they are able to access information about the party, the leadership, and the rules,” Lorionokou said.
Only after fulfilling all these requirements does a party achieve full registration and gain the ability to operate nationwide.
Kenya’s political party system is closely regulated, with 90 parties fully registered and 32 others awaiting approval.
