Political Party Coalitions in Kenya

What is a merger? 

A merger is the combination of two or more political parties into a single party (new or existing)

How do parties merge?

• The political party follows its constitution and procedures and makes the decision to merge.
• The merger agreement is then signed and deposited with the Registrar within twenty-one days of the signing.
• The Registrar withdraws and cancels the certificates of registration of the political parties that have merged and gazettes the dissolution of the merged parties within seven days.
• Certificate of full registration is then issued if a new political party is formed.

What are the Effects of Merger on:

Membership

• A member of the political party that has merged with another will become a member of the new political party.
• A member who is a President, Deputy President, Governor or Deputy Governor, Member of Parliament or member of a County Assembly, and does not want to be a member of the new political party after the merger will continue to serve in such elected office for the remainder of the term, and may join another political party or choose to be an independent member within thirty days of the registration of the new party.

Party particulars

• The particulars including the names, symbol, logo, slogan and colours of the parties are removed from the register of political parties and such names, symbols, logos, slogans and colours are not available for registration by any person as a political party in the subsequent election following the merger.
• The records, assets and liabilities, rights and obligations of all the dissolved political parties will be the records, assets and liabilities, rights and obligations of the new political party including their entitlement to the Political Parties Fund.

Read 11 Parties Dissolve, Merge to Jubilee

What is a Coalition?

A coalition means an alliance of two or more political parties formed for the purpose of pursuing a common goal. There are pre-election and post-election coalitions.

What is the Process of entering into a coalition?

The political party follows its constitution and procedures and makes the decision to enter into a coalition. The coalition agreement is then signed and deposited with the Registrar. The coalition agreement must contain details on:

• the parties which are members of the coalition;
• the policies and objectives of the coalition;
• the structure of the coalition;
• the coalition election and nomination rules
• the dispute resolution mechanisms and procedures
• the formula and the mechanisms for sharing of funds from the Political Party Fund to the respective member of the coalition
• the grounds for dissolution and the procedures to be followed amongst others.

What are the effects of a Coalition to individual parties?

• Each party in the coalition is still recognized as a legal entity and has an independent legal existence.
• Need not register a coalition name, slogan or symbol, but may use such other name, slogan or symbol in popularizing the coalition.
• No candidate is nominated on a coalition ticket.