Relax, 3 Easy Ways to Join a Political Party in Kenya from your phone

SUMMARY

Well, you have decided that you want to join a Kenyan political party. But in the process, you have so many questions. In this three-part article, we keep it simple and easy for you and answer the following question:-

How to choose a good party in Kenya to join

Don’t know where to start; how to research; how to find the party that best matches your political view or needs; What are the requirements of the different parties? More important you want to know specific steps to take to join a political party, and is joining a political party the same for all parties? Research, Research Research is key in making a good decision.

Since the removal of Section 2 (a) and the dejure one-party state, the Kenya political landscape has been very vibrant and with a considerable expansion of choice. Over 90 political parties have been registered and we have a diversity and tapestry of parties of all shades. From the Left to the Center and Right Leaning We recommend you read the following article

Requirements to Join a Party in Kenya

Article 38(1) (b) of the 2010 Kenya Constitution grants every citizen the freedom of political association and choices, which includes the right to participate in the activities of or recruit members for, a political party. It is, therefore, your constitutional right to join or leave a party in Kenya

The Kenyan Constitution and the Political Parties Act provide political parties with the legal leeway to determine eligibility for membership for a political party in Kenya. Therefore, every political party has the freedom to decide:

• who can join the political party, and
• the criteria a person needs to satisfy before becoming a member.
• A political party stipulates eligibility for membership in the party’s constitution.

The following are the guidelines/requirements to join a political party:

• You must agree with the general principles of the party (they will often get you to sign or tick a box online stating that you agree)
• Most parties will not allow you to join if you are a member of another party and will require that you resign or leave the other party.
• You must be a Kenyan citizen aged 18 years and above.

How to Join a Party in Kenya

Now that you have selected the party that you would like to join, what are the next step? 

There are three ways to join a party in Kenya

1. Join/Apply Directly using the E-CITIZEN portal
2. Join/Apply directly to a Party Office/Website
3. Party Membership Recruitment Drive

Join/Apply to Join a Party Directly using the ORPP E-CITIZEN portal

IN 2021 ORPP lauched the ORPP E-CITIZEN Portal. From which 

•  You can in 2 easy steps join any political party of your choice
• Verify your political party membership status and if you are a pre-existing member of a party in Kenya
• Resign or leave a party 

You will need to create or log in to your e-citizen account

Join/Apply directly to a Party Office/Website 

Party Member Recruitment Drives

Political Parties are allowed to create awareness about their parties and also conduct recruitment drives for new members. 

While this proactive action is allowed it is strictly regulated and must precede with consent from a prospective applicant. It is an offense to register a person as a member of a political party in Kenya without their consent. 

The Recruitment Process For Membership Of A Party

In recruiting members, the recruitment process for the political party should include the following elements:

• the party constitution must spell out the requirements for membership recruitment;
• the party must introduce a membership card of a specific standard;
• the party and the member must complete the member verification form;
• the party must keep and continuously update a membership list;
• the party must keep and update a list of membership dues paid following the party constitution.

Membership Verification, Application, and Approval Process

When applying to join a party each member application will undergo a process of three steps

1. New Applicant application (Membership Verification Process)
2. Approval by ORPP
3. New Member Onboarding by a Party

Membership Verification Process

At this stage, you will be required to provide your personal information by filling out and signing a manual or online form. The following 21 details will be required/captured in the Member Application Form:

1. Full official names (First, Mid and Surname);
2. age, sex, and occupation;
3. Residence (County, Constituency, Ward) 
4. Full Mailing/Postal address and telephone number;
5.  SIG status. If Applicant self-identifies belongs or is member of Special Interest Group (Youth, Women, Minority or Marginalised Community, Person Living with Disability)
6. Religion/Faith
7. ID or Passport number of the member;
8. Membership Class/Category
9. the subscription or membership fee;
10. Signature of applicant
11. Applicants acknowledgment and acceptance of Terms and conditions, Code of Conduct, etc;
12. Recruitment date; and recruiter’s name and signature

Approval by ORPP

When the party and the applicant complete the member verification form the party forwards details of the member through the Integrated Political Parties Management System (IPPMS)

1. The Registrar of Political Parties verifies and validates the uploaded membership in the IPPMS.
2. Once a person has been verified into the membership register of a political party, the person becomes a member of that party.

Onboarding of a New Member by the Party

1. An applicant now become a new member of a party;
2. A Party Member is assigned a membership number and full name(s) entered into the party membership register. 
3. A party membership certificate/card is issued listing a membership card/certificate number, members name, address, date and place the membership card was issued;

All political parties are required to keep an up-to-date and accurate list of party members and this membership register should be available to members and the public at the party’s head office and all party offices in the counties.

6 Reasons Why Join a Party in Kenya?

As Chama Cha Rasilimali we believe there are 6 reasons why you should join any party in Kenya. 

Rights Of A Political Party Member

A member of a political party in Kenya has several rights including the right to:

1. participate in the activities of a political party;
2. campaign for a political party or cause;
3. contest for leadership positions in a party;
4. run as a candidate in the party nomination for candidates for general election and by-election;
5. access to party documents and records.
6. Meeting people with similar beliefs to yourself
7. Helping candidates you agree with get elected
8. Influencing the party’s policies on issues you care about
9. Attending events and conferences the party runs
10. Voting on who the party leader is, who the party’s local candidates should be, and whether the party should go into government after an election

Need more information? 

We are here to answer your questions and talk through your options. We are available online and via WhatsApp Monday to Friday, 4 pm to 8 pm. Chat to us now about your situation.

• Whatsapp Chat with our trained Membership Officer
• Contact Us Or leave us a message and we will be glad to email you back

For more on how to join a political party in Kenya, download this guide to political party membership

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Joining a Party in Kenya.

What if I’m just interested in politics but do not want to join a party in Kenya?

Politics isn’t just about what happens within and between political parties, and there are lots of ways to be politically active without getting involved in the party system. If you would like to be involved in politics without joining a party you can: 

• BE INDEPENDENT/NON-PARTISAN. If you find no party best represents your interests you could choose to be independent, or nonpartisan and therefore have no affiliation to a party 
• ARMS LENGTH: You could choose not to join the party but to get involved in a campaign on a cross-cutting specific issue that is important to you: Examples of issues that affect many people include, rights and quality of education or health care, abortion rights, marriage equality, access to water, cost of living or even civil rights. All these issues have spurred successful political movements that influenced parties from the outside
• START YOUR OWN PARTY OF MOVEMENT.: it’ll be hard, of course, but great movements and parties have been started by ordinary people. Some examples include the 1000 man march by Martin Luther King, Black Lives Matter, Women’s Liberation Movement, and the Wangare Mathai’s Green Belt Movement.

If I Join a Party do I also automatically become a member of a political coalition

Political coalitions do not have their members but individual parties in the coalition have their members.

Which political party can I join in Kenya?

If you’re interested in finding out more about some of Kenya’s main political parties, check out the information below:

• List of Active/Top/Best/Biggest/Most Friendly political parties in Kenya  in 2022
  • Most Active political parties in Kenya  in 2022
  • Top political parties in Kenya  in 2022
  • Largest/Biggest political parties in Kenya
  • Most Friendly political parties in Kenya  in 2022
• Fully Registered political parties in Kenya 2021
• Newly Registered but Better parties in Kenya
• Total No of Parties in Kenya
• Kenya Political Parties represented in the 7th Parliament in Kenya
• Political Party Coalitions in Kenya