Kenya’s 91 registered parties and what ORPP does

The primary mission of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) is to promote the realisation of political rights through the registration and regulation of political parties in Kenya and to administer the Political Parties Fund.

As of now, Kenya has 91 fully registered political parties. The latest addition is the Democracy for the Citizens Party, led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. According to the list published by the Office, the party was fully registered on February 3, 2025.

The Political Parties Act, 2011 obliges the Office of Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) to “maintain a register of political parties and the symbols of political parties”.

The functions of ORPP are:

  • register, regulate, monitor, investigate and supervise political parties to ensure compliance with the Act;
  • administer the Fund;
  • ensure publication of audited annual accounts of political parties;
  • verify and make publicly available the list of all members of political parties;
  • Keep and maintain a register of members of registered political parties;
  • maintain a register of political parties and the symbols of the political parties;
  • ensure and verify that no person is a member of more than one political party and notify the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of the findings;
  • certify that an independent candidate in an election is not a member of any registered political party
  • certify that the symbol intended to be used by an independent candidate in an election does not resemble the symbol of a registered political party
  • certify that the names appearing in a party list are the names of members of the political party presenting the party list;
  • regulate political party nominations in accordance with the Political Parties Act;
  • train political party election agents upon the request and financing by the political party;
  • investigate complaints received under the Act; and
  • perform any such other functions as may be conferred by the Act or any other written law.

The Assistant Registrar of Political Parties deputises the Registrar of Political Parties in the functions of the office.

PSC has advertised the two positions.

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