The above was published by People Daily on 24th September 2025
Since independence, political parties have operated whimsically at the behest of the party honchos. Hardly do political parties in Kenya ever care about law, policy and order when it comes to transacting political business, yet law operationalizes them.
For two decades, I had a chance to monitor political processes in Kenya and the best definition for the experience is- outrageous fallacy. I once led compilation of a report titled, Fallacious Vote after monitoring the 2017 party primaries. If I were do it again, I would modify the title to something like- Outrageous Fallacious Vote.
So shambolic are party primaries in Kenya that if the Likert scale is applied, perhaps the score would be 0.5%. This country has witnessed classical political drama with the political parties not in a position to explain whether what they engage in is actually a legal process or kindergarten skit. A kindergarten skit is however, rhythmic and organized.
Political parties engage in party primaries with the end in mind and never care about the means and the processes, which would justify the end. For them, getting a candidate to contest in the general or by-elections does need to be a sweaty affair. They can negotiate, rig, get into consensus or better still, the party patron can handpick his or her choice based on how well his or her purse or wallet is lined.
Political parties need to adhere to set rules and guidelines based on the registered party constitutions, adhere to gender, PWDs and youth regulations and ensure utmost transparency. Where disputes arise, it is expected that the internal party structures should be able to handle the grievances in a democratic manner.
In terms of preparations, political parties engage in the process without members registers, which makes it possible for a citizen to participate in party primaries for party A to party Z. In most cases, they rely on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries (IEBC) register, which then beats the purpose. I remember one time when monitoring party voting, citizens would get into the hall, sign an attendance list and voila! They immediately became register party members and proceeded to vote.
Another crazy thing I have noted is that political parties engage in the processes without the necessary voting materials. These would include ballot papers, ballot boxes, ink, stamps and proper signage. In most cases, they resort into using exercise book pages as ballot papers, which are then stuffed into baskets or funny buckets. This is crazy!
The counting and announcement of party primaries results is itself a crazy comedy act fit to give Charlie Chaplin a run for his act and money. In most cases, the results have to be agreeable to the Party Patron or Chairman and if it not, he or she may overturn the same. In other often times, the winners certificate is printed way before the primaries happen. The party primaries therefore are just nothing but an exercise in futility.
Another funny procedure that happens is party hopping especially when candidates lose fairly or otherwise and choose to jump to another political party in time before the deadline to present their papers.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties is supposed to regulate and reign in on political parties that do not follow the laid down procedures and follow the rule of law, in most cases, that does not take place.
The 27 November 2025 elections provides a good opportunity for political parties to rehearse and ensure that they do what is legal and right in readiness for the 2027 general elections and also for the by-elections.
Time is now
The above appeared on Daily Nation, 21st September 2025.
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