There have been complaints that some parties enlisted members from mobile money transfer records.
Parties had also two months from the day they received their compliance certificates to file statements on assets and expenditure.
Narc-Kenya was to file on May 23 while other parties have datelines ranging from June to August.
Some of the key parties currently with parliamentary representation include ODM, PNU, Wiper Democratic Party (formerly ODM-K), Kanu, Ford-Kenya, New Ford-Kenya and UDM.
There are, however, new parties that are also causing ripples across the political divide, among them The National Alliance, United Republican Party and the United Democratic Forum.
According to the KNDR report, lack of effective enforcement of the law is leading to perceptions of ‘business as usual’ in political practice.
“Politicians appear not to recognise the need to change in line with the new electoral laws. Unless the law is effectively enforced, parties will not grow as institutions to contribute to the democratic governance,” reads the report in part.
On the other hand, the trust and high level of confidence in the IEBC emanates from how the commission was established. The commissioners were hired through a competitive process and the relevant committee of Parliament vetted them.
Too early to judge
Federal Party of Kenya chair Kizito Temba argues before the parties Act came into place, there was lack of institutional framework to ensure order in the way parties were managed.
“With the PPA in place, we have regulation and with time parties are going to win the confidence of the public,” he added.
UDM Secretary-General Martin ole Kamwaro say it’s too early to judge parties because “its only less than two months after compliance and that serious parties would boost membership and win public confidence” with time.
Prof Munene Macharia, a lecturer at United States International University, says most parties are viewed as personal properties and that none qualifies to be a mass-movement that can win confidence of the public.
Manifestoes’ factor
“Political leaders mobilise party support along ethnic lines and its not, therefore, easy for a party to have appeal across the country,” added the professor of History and International Relations.
Ford-Kenya Executive Director Stephen Namusyule says election manifestoes are likely to boost the confidence of Kenyans in political parties.
