Political parties registrar's 'rituals' before merger

Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u. (Photo: File/Standard)

Parties that dissolved to join Jubilee Party were required to deposit agreements with the Registrar of Political Parties to confirm their relevant organs had ratified the decision.

“The parties merging will first deposit the dissolution agreement. On the day of the merger, they will sign a merger agreement to join the Jubilee party,” explained the Registrar of Political Parties, Lucy Ndung’u.

Today all delegates of the 11 parties that dissolved will converge at Kasarani under the umbrella of the new Jubilee Party.

The Registrar of Political Parties had drafted administrative guides to mergers and coalitions with consequences to regulate their formation.

The administrative guidelines state that political parties intending to merge have to submit their resolution for merger together with the agreement.

She said the resolution has to be adopted by the respective national governing body of a party and parties must sign an agreement on the day of the merger.

Political parties entering a merger shall deposit with the Registrar; the merger agreement, documentation showing that the rules and procedures of political parties entering into a merger have been followed and minutes of the meeting of the governing bodies of each of the political parties entering into a merger sanctioning the merger.

Parties such as TNA, URP, Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP), Alliance Party of Kenya (APK), united Democratic Front (UDF), New Ford Kenya, Tip Tip, Ford People, Party of National Unity (PNU), Grand National Union (GNU), among others, are expected to join the new Jubilee outfit.

The guidelines further state that when two or more political parties merge and upon receiving the letter of confirmation of the merger, the registrar shall issue certificate of full registration.

“The Registrar shall amend the Registry of Political parties by replacing the names of the merging parties with the name of the new political party,” reads part of the guidelines seen by The Standard.

The Political Parties Act provides for the merger where two or more political parties enter into a merger by forming a new party. The guidelines also state that the requirements must be sanctioned by the governing body of the political parties entering a coalition.