People’s Renaissance Movement interim secretary general Emmanuel Sara Bhai addresses the media after receiving certificate of registration from Registrar of Political Parties ON April 22, 2026 /EZEKIEL AMING’APolitical party nominations in Kenya, particularly for the major
outfits, have increasingly become lucrative exercises.
Parties can collect millions of shillings from aspiring candidates, yet questions persist over how much is collected, how it is spent and whether the money is independently and transparently accounted for.
The law already requires political parties to keep proper financial records and provides for annual audits of their accounts by the Auditor-General, with audited accounts submitted to the Registrar of Political Parties and Parliament.
The real question, therefore, is whether these provisions are being rigorously enforced, including for nomination revenues and expenditure.
There is also little justification for wildly differing nomination fees without clear, transparent criteria. The registrar should require parties to publish their fee structures, collections and expenditure after every nomination exercise.
The Political Parties Act should be strengthened, where necessary, to regulate nomination charges and impose meaningful sanctions for financial opacity.
Kenya also needs to confront briefcase parties that emerge at election time and disappear afterwards. Parties are essential democratic institutions, not commercial vehicles.
Those that consistently fail statutory requirements or demonstrate no meaningful political activity should face deregistration. Nominations must select candidates, not become fundraising schemes for party officials.
