Resigning from a political party in Kenya requires a formal legal process governed by the Political Parties Act.
The process is seamless and can be executed through three different ways followin simple steps.
Manual resignation
A member initiates the process by submitting a written and duly signed resignation notice to their respective political party’s headquarters or leadership.
They must then submit a copy of the resignation notice to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), together with a copy of their valid passport or national ID card, within seven days.
The member is also required to provide sufficient evidence to the ORPP that the party has been served with the notice.
If the member intending to resign is an elected leader, they must submit their written resignation notice to the political party, the Clerk of the relevant House of Parliament if they are a Member of Parliament, or the Clerk of a County Assembly if they are a member of a county assembly.
"The political party of which the person is a member, the member, or the clerk of the relevant House of Parliament or of a county assembly of which the resigning individual is a member shall then notify the Registrar of Political Parties of such resignation within seven days of the resignation," the ORPP says.
Upon receiving the notification, the Registrar is required to remove the member’s name from the membership register of that political party within the timelines indicated in the service charter.
Resignation via USSD code
A member can also use a mobile platform to resign from a political party if they wish to do so.
They can dial the USSD code *509#, which is currently available on two mobile network operators.
The service is free, and the user is not required to pay any additional fee besides the normal subscriber fee, which is currently capped at Sh1.
Online resignation
A member of the public can also resign from a political party where they are registered as a member if they wish to do so, or if they were registered erroneously or without their consent.
This service can be accessed through the Integrated Political Parties Management System (IPPMS) established by the ORPP, as well as through the government digital portal, eCitizen.
Accessing the service through these channels is free, and a user does not incur any additional fee besides the normal internet charges.
The link can be accessed via https://tinyurl.com/mu29hx2w
To check your membership status and verify whether your name has been removed as a member of the political party you have resigned from, visit any of the ORPP offices, including the county offices, and present an original copy of your national ID or passport.
The membership registration status will be provided immediately.
You can also submit the request in writing to the Registrar of Political Parties, detailing your name in full and your passport and/or national identification number and a copy of the registration document.
You can also dial *509# or use the IPPMS portal or eCitizen to check political party registration status.
The process is seamless and can be executed through three different ways followin simple steps.
