Survey shows parties are being run illegally

What you need to know:

  • Offices turned into churches and nursery schools.
  • ODM, TNA, URP and others open offices only to close them immediately after getting registered.

Political parties, including the three main ones, are operating illegally after closing down the offices they opened when they were registered.

A report by the Institute of Education in Democracy (IED) released in Nairobi on Tuesday shows that some of them tricked the Registrar of Political Parties into registering them.

They opened offices and closed them immediately after the buildings were inspected.

The three largest parties the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the United Republican Party (URP) and The National Alliance (TNA) are funded by the taxpayers.

ODM and TNA, however, share part of the cash with their partners in the 2013 elections, based on the presidential vote contributions.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM, the single largest parliamentary party, presented records to the registrar, claiming it had opened offices in 26 counties.

But the IED found offices only in Isiolo, Bungoma, Busia, Kiambu, Kisii, Kwale, Makueni, Migori, Nakuru, Homa Bay, Nairobi, Nyamira, Siaya, Tana River and West Pokot.

COMPLIANCE

The ODM office in Nyandarua County, though among those listed as operational, is now an evangelical church.

“This accounts for 67 per cent compliance with the law, which provides that a party should have offices in at least 24 counties,” the report says.

TNA also has offices in 16 counties: Kisumu, Bungoma, Samburu, Isiolo, Kirinyaga, Laikipia, Lamu, Meru, Nakuru, Siaya, Taita-Taveta, Busia, Kisii and Nairobi. Its Mombasa office has been turned into a private residence but is still listed as operational.

URP has offices in 20 counties though the returns the party filed at the registrar’s office indicate it has 26 operational offices.

On Tuesday, IED Executive Director Brian Weke called for compliance with the law on the overdue recruitment of the Registrar of Political Parties.