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Kenya is facing a serious political funding crisis that could change the shape of its 2027 general election. A major government agency has run out of money, leaving 32 new political parties stuck in limbo and unable to take part in the race for power.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) is responsible for checking that all political parties follow the law before they can be fully registered. This includes making sure each party has offices in at least 24 counties, enough members, and fair representation of gender and special groups. These checks can only be done in person, and they cost money.
But this year the ORPP ran out of funds. Without enough cash, officials cannot carry out these mandatory checks. As a result, 32 parties that were provisionally registered are now stuck without full status. They cannot run candidates in the 2027 polls, receive public funding, or operate freely.
According to ORPP’s Registrar, John Cox Lurionokou, it costs about Sh3.9 million (around US$30,000) to verify each party, meaning the total cost for all 32 parties is about Sh62.4 million. The agency is now seeking this money in a supplementary government budget.
The funding problem goes deeper than this verification exercise. This financial year, ORPP asked for Sh1.6 billion to carry out its duties, but received only Sh508.6 million. Most of that has already been spent on basic running costs like salaries, rents, and insurance.
Part of the problem is that the Political Parties Fund, which by law should get at least 0.3% of national revenue, was given much less than required. Instead of billions of shillings it should have received, it got only a fraction of that. This underfunding has plagued the country’s political system for years.
Experts warn that if the money is not found soon, Kenya could see fewer political voices represented in the next election—limiting democratic choice right before a major national vote. This problem shows how crucial funding and proper planning are for free and fair elections in any democracy.
