ORPP Warns New Political Parties: Register Before October or Miss 2027 Polls
By News Desk
The Chief Executive Officer of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties Mr. John Cox Lorionokou has warned that any political party intending to participate in Kenya’s next General Election must complete registration before October or risk waiting until the 2032 elections.
Speaking on the evolving political landscape ahead of the 2027 General Election, Lorionokou said the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) is currently working on new coalition party rules aimed at ensuring fairness and protecting the interests of all political parties entering coalition agreements.
Mr. John Cox Lorionokou,CEO/Registrar of Political Parties
He noted that coalition politics in Kenya is anchored in the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and guided by the Political Parties Act, 2011 as amended in 2022, which provides a legal framework for both pre-election and post-election coalitions.
According to the ORPP boss, political parties seeking to form coalitions must comply with strict timelines and legal procedures. Pre-election coalition agreements must be deposited at least three months before elections, while coalition political parties are required to submit agreements 120 days before a General Election. Post-election coalitions must be registered within 21 days after signing the agreement.
Lorionokou emphasized that even within a coalition arrangement, every constituent party retains its independent legal identity despite operating under a shared coalition name or symbol.
He further explained that coalition agreements must clearly outline policy frameworks, dispute resolution mechanisms, and formulas for sharing resources from the Political Parties Fund.
The ORPP CEO stated that coalition politics has helped smaller parties gain increased electoral competitiveness, access government positions, secure development resources, and benefit from the Political Parties Fund through collective bargaining power.
However, he acknowledged that coalition arrangements have also faced major challenges, including dominance by larger parties, unequal distribution of power, internal wrangles, and disagreements over resource sharing.
“Currently the structure is Kenyan-made and tailored to fit our democratic realities,” Lorionokou stated, adding that reforms being developed by the Registrar’s office are intended to strengthen transparency, fairness, and stability within coalition governments.
He maintained that the ongoing reforms will help ensure that coalition agreements move beyond transactional politics and create long-term political partnerships built on ideology, accountability, and inclusivity.
The ORPP is expected to continue consultations with political stakeholders as the country prepares for the 2027 General Election.
