Over 50 Political Parties in Kenya: A Comprehensive List

Kenya as an independent country has enjoyed some levels of peace and stability politically until recently. The country was a multi-party democracy before independence and remained so until 1982 when Section 2A came into effect, making the country a one-party state.

Kenya gained independence on December 12, 1963. This was after 43 years of British rule. After independence, Kenya had one political party – the Kenya African National Union (KANU), which later joined the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU). The Kenya People’s Union (KPU) was later founded in 1966 by Raila Odinga’s father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, to challenge KANU rule. However, the party was banned after three years in October 1969.

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Subsequently, in 1991, six opposition leaders, including then-Vice President Oginga Odinga, came together to form the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD). However, the party was soon declared illegal by then-President Moi. It was an uproar that followed the arrests of party supporters and sympathizers that eventually led to the legalization of opposition parties in December 1991. with Moi and KANU manning the legislative process. Later, however, political disputes arose, which over the years led to the split of the FORD party into other political parties.

Following these developments, the multi-party system has been in place since 1992, with one of the governing coalitions being multi-party. The 1990s saw significant growth of the parties, with some of the parties surviving into 2000. Aside from the KPU, there were no other parties after 1962 that ended before the year 2000. The Kenyan system has seen a noticeable decline recently, leaving few of them viable and dynamic.

Currently, Kenya’s political system is what could practically be viewed as a two-party system with two major political parties in the country cq coalitions have dominated since the 2007 general election.

As of 2007 there were more than 160 registered political parties in Kenya . However, with the implementation of several party laws introduced by the December 31, 2008 law, the number drastically reduced and on April 30, 2012, twenty-four parties received registration certificates while 22 others had applied for registration .

In order to keep you updated on the current state of the multi-party system in Kenya, we have decided to make a complete list of all political parties in Kenya. So take a look below for a comprehensive list of Political parties in Kenya both registered and not yet registered.

A comprehensive list of registered political parties in Kenya

Below are political parties in Kenya that have registration certificates:

  1. Agano Party (AP)
  2. Alliance for real change
  3. Alliance Party of Kenya (APK)
  4. Chama Cha Mwananchi (CCM)
  5. Chama Cha Uzalendo (CCU)
  6. Conservative Party (CP)
  7. Democratic Party of Kenya (DP)
  8. Peasant Party (FP)
  9. Federal Party of Kenya (MDM)
  10. Ford people (FORD-P)
  11. Forum for Restoring Democracy-Kenya (FORD-KENYA)
  12. Grand National Union (GNU)
  13. Kenya African Democratic Union-Asili (KADU-ASIL)
  14. Kenya African National Union (KANU)
  15. Kenya National Congress (KNC)
  16. Kenya Social Congress (KSC)
  17. Maendeleo Democratic Party (MDP)
  18. Mazingira Green Party of Kenya (MGPK)
  19. Mkenya Solidarity Movement (MSM)
  20. Muungano Development Movement Party in Kenya (MP)
  21. Mwangaza Party (MP)
  22. NARC-Kenya (NARC-K)
  23. National Agenda Party of Kenya (NAPK)
  24. National Democratic Movement (NDM)
  25. National Labor Party (NLP)
  26. National Party of Kenya (FPK)
  27. National Rainbow Coalition (NARC)
  28. The National Vision Party (NVP)
  29. New Democrats (ND)
  30. New Ford Kenya (NFK)
  31. nuru party
  32. Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)
  33. Party of Action (POA)
  34. Democratic Unity Party (PDU)
  35. Independent Candidates Party of Kenya (PICK)
  36. Party of National Unity (PNU)
  37. People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
  38. People’s Party of Kenya (PPK)
  39. Progressive Party of Kenya (PPK)
  40. Restoring and Building Kenya (RBK)
  41. Saba Saba Asili (77)
  42. Safina Party (SAFINA)
  43. Shirikisho Party of Kenya (SPK)
  44. Sisi Kwa Sisi Party (SSP)
  45. Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP)
  46. The Independent Party (TIP) * The Labor Party of Kenya (LPK)
  47. The National Alliance (TNA)
  48. United Democratic Forum Party (UDFP)
  49. United Democratic Movement (UDM)
  50. United Republican Party (UFSP)
  51. Unity Party of Kenya (UPK)
  52. Democratic Wiper Movement – Kenya (WDM-K)

Political parties in Kenya are still waiting for certificates

  1. party of hope
  2. The Democratic Union for Change (DUC)
  3. National Super Alliance
  4. Maendeleo Party
  5. Thirdway Alliance Party of Kenya
  6. Kenya Diaspora Pro-Democracy Movement (KDPM)
  7. Chama Cha Masilahi Ya Wakenya
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