By Ongaga Ongaga
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has issued provisional registration certificates to eight political parties after they met the legal requirements set out under Kenya’s Political Parties Act.
The certificates were presented during a ceremony held at the ORPP headquarters in Nairobi and presided over by the Registrar of Political Parties, Ann Nderitu’s successor, J.C. Lorionokou.
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The newly provisionally registered parties are the Alliance for Democratic Association (ADA), People Salvation Party of Kenya (PSP-K), Neema Congress Party (NCP), One Nation Movement (ONM), Shikana Frontliners for Unity Party (SFUP), National Forum Party (NFP), People Prosperity Party (PPP) and National Integration Party (NIP).
Speaking during the issuance of the certificates, Lorionokou challenged the new parties to move beyond merely increasing the number of political parties in the country and instead focus on addressing the needs and aspirations of Kenyans.
“The certification today must not be just adding to the political parties numbers, but critically as entities that stand for governance, meaningful inclusion and are keen on transformation and sustainability,” said the Registrar.
He urged party founders to remain committed to their founding ideologies while developing practical solutions to governance and political challenges facing the country.
“As founding members, remain steadfast to the founding ideologies while assessing the value you bring to the country and ways to act differently to better the lives of Kenyans,” he added.
Assistant Registrar CPA Florence Birya reminded party officials that obtaining provisional registration is only the first step and that compliance obligations continue throughout the life of a political party.
“You must maintain compliance throughout your party’s existence. You must continue designing systems, maintain records and undertake recruitment of your members while obtaining necessary consent as per Data Protection requirements,” she said.
Birya also urged the parties to embrace inclusivity by ensuring special interest groups are represented in leadership positions.
“You must also promote inclusivity in your party processes, incorporating Special Interest Groups into key leadership positions in your parties,” she said.
Under the Political Parties Act, parties granted provisional registration have 270 days to fulfil requirements for full registration.
These include establishing inclusive governing organs, recruiting members across the required number of counties, setting up functional national and county offices, and putting in place proper records and data management systems.
Officials from various ORPP departments guided the party representatives on compliance requirements during the session, which was coordinated by Head of Registration Locha Erukudi and his team.
The ORPP also emphasised the responsibility of party founders to uphold leadership and integrity standards as outlined in the Constitution, the Political Parties Act and related legislation.
The newly registered parties welcomed the guidance provided by the Registrar’s office and pledged to intensify membership recruitment and establish party structures across the country within the timelines provided by law.
The provisional registrations come as political activity begins to gather momentum ahead of the next General Election, with political parties expected to play a central role in shaping national governance, policy debates and democratic participation.
