The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) want the Registrar of Political Parties to provide party membership lists ahead of the March 26 deadline.

By yesterday, seven parties had applied for the lists which will be used to organise nominations.

Registrar Anne Nderitu told  People Daily that UDA (of William Ruto) and ODM (of Raila Odinga) sent their requests yesterday.

“The parties want to be furnished with the format required for filing their membership lists. That will be done before the due date,” Ms Nderitu said.

The Democratic Party (DP), led by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, Federal Party of Kenya (FPK), Ford Kenya and People’s Party of Kenya (PPK) also applied for the lists.

Nderitu said that 85 political parties have fulfilled all requirements and will participate in the August elections. Under the Elections Act of 2011, political parties are required to submit membership lists to the registrar by March 26, 2022.

“The law is clear that if by the deadline one is not aligned to any party and wants to contest for a position in the General Election, they can only do so as independent candidates,” stated  Nderitu.

For instance, Raila has to decide whether he will be running on an ODM ticket or Azimio la Umoja.

 But Azimio la Umoja coalition has not been registered yet, narrowing the options for Raila with only three weeks to the deadline.

The Kenya Kwanza Alliance bringing Ruto and his partners — Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula, who are Amani National Congress and Ford Kenya leaders,  respectively ­—  is also yet to declare whether members will be running as a coalition or a partnership.

 Nderitu stated that anyone who intends to run on a party had no option but to find one and make sure they are fully registered by the date.

“The Elections Act requires IEBC to have the parties’ membership list 120 days to the elections (by April 9). Before then, the law requires the registrar to have the lists 14 days before IEBC gets them,” she said.