By Bonface Mulyungi
The Registrar of Political Parties has raised concern over the rising number of briefcase political parties that operate without offices or regional representation.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Kisumu, Registrar John Cox Lorionkou said his office is currently vetting over 30 parties seeking registration licences in a bid to prevent misuse of political parties that only emerge during election cycles and dissolve thereafter.
He noted that Kenya currently has 96 fully registered political parties, with more applications still under review as the country edges closer to the general elections.
With barely one year to the polls, Lorionkou warned against the formation of parties driven by selfish interests, saying such entities risk undermining the country’s democratic gains.
“Political parties are not individual houses. Political parties are public institutions. Individuals come and go. They use the party as a vehicle for presidency, for members of Parliament and all that, but the party should remain a long-term institution,” said Lorionkou.
“We try to ask each party that question: what do you want to stand for as a party? What is it you want to be remembered for as a party? And secondly, what is your dream of a lifetime?” he added.
The Registrar also called on political party leadership to strengthen internal governance systems in order to reduce friction between his office and party organs.
“If somebody comes to my office and says, ‘you know, our party has flouted the rules,’ then at that point in time, the Registrar takes responsibility to say, ‘okay, this person has come, they have complained, you have not followed what you need to follow, please address this and revert back to me.’ I am not trying to manipulate the parties. Parties are independent institutions,” he said.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) announced that it will roll out a nationwide stakeholder engagement drive ahead of the general elections to address political intolerance and strengthen the role of political parties in the governance ecosystem.
