Five political parties have been suspended for failing to comply with the country’s political party regulations, the Registrar of Political Parties, Ann Nderitu, has confirmed.
While the identities of the parties were not disclosed, Nderitu stated that their suspension was due to a range of violations, including non-compliance with the gender representation requirement.
Under Kenyan law, political parties must ensure that at least one-third of their governing bodies are composed of either gender.
Nderitu stressed that these parties had been repeatedly warned and advised to meet the required standards but chose to ignore the guidance.
“We had advised them on how to comply with the rules, but they chose to ignore this,” she said.
“Until when they prove to us, through the set procedures, that they are in compliance, we will not allow them to proceed with their activities.” added Nderitu insisting that these measures were critical to enforcing the two-thirds gender rule, which is a fundamental part of Kenyan law.
The Political Parties Act (2016) requires that, to attain full registration, political parties must ensure that both their membership and governing body reflect gender balance. The act states that no more than two-thirds of a party’s governing body can be of the same gender.
“This is not just a guideline; it is the law, and my office is tasked with ensuring that parties adhere to it.”
The registrar hinted that her office makes deliberate efforts to ensure both male and female representatives are present during meetings with political parties. She said this is part of a wider strategy to amplify women’s voices, which have historically been marginalized in the political arena.
“When engaging with political parties, we insist on having male and female representatives at the table. This is intentional because we want to ensure that women, who have been marginalized in politics for so long, are heard,” Nderitu said.
She further noted that her office can deregister political parties that fail to comply with the gender rule.
“In extreme cases, we have had to deregister parties for non-compliance. One of the reasons a party can be deregistered is their failure to meet the two-thirds gender rule,” she stated.
Early this year, Third Way Alliance Party leader Ekuru Aukot sought to prevent his party from being deregistered by the Registrar of Political Parties. The case arose after allegations that the party had failed to comply with specific legal requirements, including submitting necessary documents. Aukot argued that deregistering the party would infringe on its rights and hinder its activities.
The Political Parties Act (2016) also established a Political Party Fund, with provisions to promote gender inclusivity. A percentage of the Political Party Fund is specifically allocated to support parties that field candidates from special interest groups, including women.
“This allocation incentivises political parties to nominate more female candidates during elections.” Said Nderitu
She, however, pointed out that political parties with only male elected officials are unlikely to benefit from this fund.
“If a party has only male politicians who were elected, they are less likely to benefit from the fund.” Nderitu averred, saying that her office also closely monitors how parties use the funds they receive.
“We require that parties submit audited reports and a work plan to demonstrate how they will use the funds to promote the inclusion of women, youth, and persons with disabilities,” she said.
“No funds are disbursed until we approve their work plan.”
In 2022, Kenyans voted in 30 women as Members of Parliament, an increase from 23 in 2017. The number of female governors rose to seven, compared to three in 2017, while the count of female senators remained unchanged at three. Women now hold 201 of the 1882 seats in Kenya, representing 10.6 per cent of elected seats.
In the same election, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) emerged with the highest number of women elected to the National Assembly, securing 14 seats. Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) followed with seven women elected to the National Assembly, while Jubilee Party managed to have four women MPs. Wiper Democratic Movement (WDM-K) elected three women, and KANU contributed with one female MP.
Nderitu argues that the more political parties nominate women during primaries, the more the likelihood of them being elected at the ballot.
To support women who lost in previous elections, Nderitu’s office has developed a manual that offers strategies for fundraising and running again in the future.
“We work with other institutions to engage these women, giving them strategies to fundraise and package themselves as candidates for the next election,” she explained.
“We also provide them access to counsellors who offer psychosocial support, helping them regain confidence.” She added
