REGISTRAR ORDERS NATIONWIDE CHECK ON POLITICAL PARTIES AMID "BRIEFCASE PARTY" CONCERNS

The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has announced a nationwide inspection of fully registered political parties as Kenya steps up preparations for the 2027 General Election.

Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou said the exercise will involve physical inspection of party headquarters and branch offices to establish whether parties are complying with requirements under the Political Parties Act.

The inspection is scheduled to take place from October 5 to October 9, 2026. Political parties have also been directed to submit updated details of their head and branch offices, including contact persons and their contacts, by September 25. 

A key focus of the exercise will be whether fully registered parties maintain branch offices in more than half of Kenya’s 47 counties, meaning at least 24 counties. The ORPP will also examine statutory records that parties are required to maintain at their offices.
These records include membership registers, party constitutions, internal election and nomination rules, financial information, asset registers and audited accounts. 

The inspection comes amid concerns over so-called “briefcase parties”, a term commonly used to describe political outfits that establish structures to meet registration requirements but allegedly fail to maintain active offices and operations across the country.

The latest move has attracted attention from political parties, with some officials questioning the timing of the inspection. According to Daily Nation, some party officials have argued that a similar exercise was conducted in March and have raised concerns that the new inspection could affect parties as they prepare for the 2027 elections. 

Political Parties Liaison Committee chairperson Evans Misati said the ORPP could proceed with the inspection but cautioned against any action that could interfere with parties' participation in the 2027 elections. 

The issue has also been highlighted in recent Auditor-General findings. Several parties have previously been flagged over discrepancies between the number of county offices they reported and documentation available to demonstrate that those offices were operational. 

The ORPP is mandated to register, regulate, monitor and investigate political parties to ensure compliance with the law. With the August 10, 2027 General Election approaching, the inspection is expected to place greater focus on the ability of political parties to demonstrate genuine nationwide structures and maintain the records required by law. 

The outcome of the inspection and any subsequent action against non-compliant parties will depend on the applicable legal and regulatory procedures. The ORPP has not announced that parties will automatically be barred from the 2027 elections solely because of the upcoming inspection.