•Last week, President Uhuru signed into law the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
•The law gives room for the formation of a coalition political party.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu has clarified that no request to register a coalition party with her office had been since the new law was signed by the President.
Nderitu, however, said some names had been reserved, but no formal registration process had started.
Last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta signed into law the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021 that gives room for the formation of a coalition political party.
According to the new legislation, coalition agreements must be registered at ORPP by April 9, four months before the general election.
ODM Party leader Raila Odinga had indicated they would be registering the Azimio la Umoja coalition party this week.
"For now, apart from the ones in 2017 of which one was dissolved, we don't have any filed coalition in our office," she said.
"We know for sure that names have been reserved."
She was speaking on Wednesday during a breakfast consultative session on access to information framework on elections and media practice organised by the Media Council of Kenya.
The Registrar also asked sitting MCAs, MPs and governors to ensure they join parties they wish to contest on their tickets by March 26.
She said at the expiry of the timeline, one will be able to join any political party for the sake of the August 9 polls.
"By March 26, anybody who wants to participate on a ticket of a party should join that outfit," she said.
"Even if you are an MCA, MP, governor, then you should resign and join the party of your choice by then."
Nderitu also downplayed fears of by-elections occasioned by the impending mass resignation, saying it is a legal timeline.
"You don't risk losing anything. It is a legal timeline."