Several political parties in Kenya are at risk of deregistration and exclusion from the 2027 General Election after an Auditor General’s report found they failed to establish branch offices in at least 24 counties, as required by the Political Parties Act.

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu's 2024/25 financial year audit revealed that numerous parties either did not have physical offices in the mandated counties or could not provide evidence verifying their existence. Some offices were found closed or nonexistent during physical inspections.

Legal Requirements for Political Parties

Under Section 7 (2)(f)(iii) of the Political Parties Act, a party seeking full registration must submit proof of branch offices in more than half of Kenya’s 47 counties—that is, at least 24 counties.

Compliant Parties

Parties confirmed to have met the threshold include:

  • United Democratic Alliance (UDA)
  • Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)
  • Wiper Patriotic Front (WPF)
  • Federal Party of Kenya (FPK)
  • People’s Liberation Party

Parties Failing to Meet Requirements

Several notable parties were flagged for non-compliance:

  • KANU: Only five operational county offices verified despite claiming 24; no supporting documentation was provided. The party recorded KSh 29.03 million revenue in 2024/25.
  • Jubilee Party: Had only two offices in Nairobi and eight others closed, down from 10 offices previously reported. Recorded KSh 79.9 million revenue in 2023/24.
  • Ford Kenya: Operated a single Nairobi office, though it claimed 34 offices. No lease agreements or staff lists were submitted. Received KSh 25.03 million from the Political Parties Fund.
  • Pamoja African Alliance (PAA): Maintained eight operational offices. Leadership records were incomplete, breaching legal requirements.
  • Democratic Action Party (DAP) Kenya: Operated only one office in Nairobi.
  • Maendeleo Chap Chap (MCC): Had four verified offices despite claiming 24.
  • Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG) and United Progressive Alliance (UPA): Also failed to demonstrate physical presence in the required number of counties.

Implications and Next Steps

The Registrar of Political Parties oversees compliance and the administration of the Political Parties Fund, which supports party operations including establishing county offices. Failure to meet the minimum office requirement could lead to deregistration, affecting parties’ participation in upcoming elections.