Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou/FILERegistrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou has rejected claims that his office is influenced by the State, insisting that its decisions are guided by the Constitution and the Political Parties Act.
Lorionokou made the remarks while defending his handling of the controversial application by the Edwin Sifuna-led Linda Mwananchi movement to reserve its name as a political party.
The Registrar initially declined the application, citing the existence of another political outfit with the acronym LINDA. The decision was later overturned by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, which directed his office to reconsider the application.
The Office of the Registrar subsequently approved the reservation of the Linda Mwananchi Movement name for up to 90 days following the tribunal's ruling.
Explaining the original decision, Lorionokou said the law allows the Registrar to reject a proposed party name where it resembles the name of an existing party or where its slogan could cause confusion.
“The registrar can reject the name of a political party if it resembles the name of another party or the slogan appears like that of another party. That is what informed my decision to decline to reserve the Linda Mwananchi name,” he said.
He was also questioned over why previous registrars had allowed several political parties to use the word “democratic” in their names while his office had raised objections to Linda Mwananchi.
Lorionokou explained that party registration begins with the reservation of a proposed name.
Applicants can submit their requests either online or physically, after which the Registrar checks the proposed name and other details against the office's records.
If the application meets the legal requirements, the name is reserved for 90 days, after which the reservation lapses and the name becomes available to other applicants.
“I would like to inform Kenyans that my office does not take instructions from elsewhere in the performance of its work. We are guided by the Constitution and the Political Parties Act. In the case of Linda Mwananchi, there was already another party with the initials LINDA reserved,” he said.
Lorionokou said his office had also overseen an increase in the number of registered political parties since he assumed office.
He said there were 91 registered parties when he took over last year, with another 10 subsequently registered, bringing the total to 101. He maintained that the registrations were conducted without external interference.
The Registrar further said decisions made by his office can be challenged before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal and the courts, and that his office respects decisions issued by those institutions.
He said the Office of the Registrar was open to public scrutiny and committed to providing Kenyans with fair and impartial services.
