Registrar
of Political
Parties Ann
Nderitu issues
a certificate
of provisional
registration
to National
Economic
Development
Party secretary
general Benard
Mulwa and other
officials on
January 23
/ORPP KENYA
Details have emerged of a mad rush to register new political parties in readiness for a face-off with President William Ruto in the 2027 polls.
The Star has established that hundreds of names of proposed political parties have been reserved at the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.
Between November 2024 and January 2025 alone, some 42 names were reserved for registration.
Register of Political Parties Anne Nderitu said her office has received hundreds of requests for reservation of names since the 2022 polls.
“From 2022, those (requests) are many. They are in their hundreds but we don’t know who is serious about proceeding with the process of registration,” Nderitu said.
At least 45 applications for party registration were reviewed by the ORPP between December and January.
Since 2022, the registrar has issued provisional registration certificates to seven political parties – pending full registration.
They include The We Alliance Party (TWAP), Peoples Forum for Rebuilding Democracy (PFRD), Imarisha Uchumi Party (IUP) and African Development Congress (ADC).
Others are the Kenya Ahadi Party (KAP), Democracy for the Citizen Party (DCP) and National Economic Development Party (NEDP).
A former aide of ex-Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, Benard Mulwa, is listed as the secretary general of NEDP, which secured its provisional registration certificate last week.
“Today marks an important milestone yet again in this journey, as we draw close to the attainment of full registration of the National Economic Development Party,” Mulwa stated while receiving the certificate from the registrar.
Out of the seven, only TWAP and DCP have applied for full registration.
The revelations come at a time when political bigwigs are aligning, realigning and crafting coalitions and alliances ahead of the polls.
Nderitu said tough registration requirements and a tedious process are the bottlenecks for delayed registration of the outfits.
The registrar disclosed that her office introduced the Integrated Political Parties Management System that sealed several loopholes and made the registration process thorough.
“With the new system, a Kenyan must give consent for his or her name to be registered in a political party. If someone tries to register you (through the system) you will receive an SMS requiring you to verify the registration,” she said.
For those doing manual registration, they are required to submit copies of the IDs of Kenyans listed as members of the party.
The Political Parties Act provides for conditions, including recruiting at least 24, 000 Kenyans (not fewer than 1,000 registered voters from each of more than half of the counties) for a party to secure full registration.
“In the past, parties could just register Kenyans without their consent. That cannot happen today,” she stated.
Currently, the country has 101 fully registered political parties, including the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party.
According to data from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, the 42 names that were reserved between November and January were Freedom and Opportunity Party (FOP), Solidarity for Change (SFC) and Party for Economic Recovery (PER).
Others are the Grand Political Movement (GRAM), Progressive Democratic Movement (PROM), Liberation Dawn Party (LIDA), Collective Opportunity Movement (COM), Ark Democratic Movement Coalition (ADM) and Wave of Change Party (WCP).
Also on the list are The Transformative Development Party (TDP), The People’s Movement (TPM), Tutembee Wote Party (TWP) and Democracy for Economic Change Alliance (DECA).
The National Development Party (NDP), Kenya Democrats Party (KEPA), Ufanisi Kenya Party (UKP) and Democracy for Economic Alliance (DEA) and Green-Up Economy (GEP) are also listed.
Others are Change Assimilation Party (CHANGE), Social Economic Alliance (SEA), National Alliance for Democratic Change (NADC) and Citizens Accord Party (ACCORD).
Further, the Unity Party of New Awakening Kenya (UPNAK), National Restoration Movement (NRM), National Equity Alliance (NEA) and Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA) have been reserved.
Others are the Msimamo National Party (MNP), Millennium Alliance Party (MAPA), New Republic Party (NRP), National Unification Party (NUM) and Economic Renaissance Movement (ERM).
Also listed are the Clean Alliance Party of Kenya (CAP-K), United Social Alignment (USAL), The Economic Empowerment Party (TEUP) and the Unity and Diversity for Prosperity Party (UNITY).
The Coalition of Upright People of Kenya (CUPK), Tujenge Kenya Movement (TKM), New Hope Alliance (NHA), National Innovation Party of Kenya (NATIP), Kimbilio Party of Kenya (KPK) and Kenya Initiative for Change (KIC).
The 45 outfits whose applications are under review include Chama Cha Ujenzi (Ujenzi), United Republicans Alliance Party (URA), Nanga Peoples Union (NPU), United For People Party (UFPP) and Economic Patriots Party (EPA).
Others are the Reforms and Renewal Movement (REM), Party For Better Kenya (PBK), Dignified Life Party (DLP), and National Advocacy and Democratic Unity (NADU).
Also listed are the Alliance For Economic Change (AEC), Clean Alliance Party (CAP-K), People’s Choice Alliance (PCA), Civil Progressive Party (CIPA), Green Up Economy Party (GEP) and People-Centred Party (PEC).
The registrar has also reserved the names of the National Forum For Equity And Development Party (NFD), Kenya's Agreement Party (KAPA), One Nation Movement (ONM), United Social Alignment (USAL), Digital Democracy Party (DDP) and Forty-Seven Voices Of Kenya Congress (VOICES).
Others are Shikana Frontliners For Unity (SPUF), Alliance For Democratic Association (ADA), Citizens Alliance For Democratic Affairs (CADA), Achievement Party Of Kenya (ACPOK), Forward Kenya Party (KFP), Prosperity Alliance Party (PALL), United Super Alliance Party (USAP) and Chama Cha Biashara Na Uwekezaji (CHABU).
Accountability and Transparency Party (ATP), Kenya Great Party (KGP), Green African Party (GAP) and Chama Cha Maadili Na Maendeleo (CMM) are also on the list.
Others are the Vision For Development Alliance (Vida), Neema Congress Party (NCP), United Patriotic Movement (UPM), Social Democratic Party Of Kenya (SDP), National Transformation Party (NTP), The Economic Pillars Alliance (TEPA), Reformed Patriotic Democrats (REPA), Progressive Future Alliance (PFA) and Party For Democratic Reforms (PDR).
