Parliamentary Committee approves Anne Nderitu as Registrar of Political Parties

Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu during her vetting before the National assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee at Parliament. [Boniface Okendo/Standard]

The Parliamentary Justice and Legal Affairs Committee has approved the nomination of Anne Nderitu as the Registrar of Political Parties.

"Taking into a consideration the findings on Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, this House approves the appointment Ms. Anne Nderitu as Registrar of Political Parties and Mr. Ali Abdullaih as Assistant Registrar," committee Chair Muturi Kigano said.

The committee has further rejected the appointment of Makore Wilson as an assistant registrar.

Nderitu emerged atop the horse-tight race which attracted about ten candidates and twelve for the position of assistant Registrar of Political Parties.

Among those shortlisted for the RPP position in June this year included; Kennedy Mosoti, Murshid Mohammed, Nancy Dalla, Anne Nderitu, Mary Karen Kigen, Edwin Nge’tich, Henry Rithaa, Edith Nyambura King’ori, Lukas Mwanza and Sheila Yieke.

Last Friday, Nderitu was vetted as she fought off IEBC links, saying that she had maintained her integrity during her service at the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC), where she was a manager in charge of electoral training.

"Political parties must be made to account for their existence and recommended for changes to law to allow the registrar's office a role in the management of coalitions," she said.

Ms Nderitu becomes the second person to hold the office after her predecessor Lucy Ndung'u.

She has been serving in acting capacity since August 10, 2018.

Lucy Ndungu, who served as RPP for nine years (from 2011-2018), had also been in acting capacity for more than four years, since the enactment of the Political Parties Act.

Ms. Ndung’u was the first holder of the office, from where she was then appointed to the board of the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ).

The function of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties is to regulate political parties to ensure compliance to the law.