The ORPP, on 19th February 2026, had a productive session with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), a delegation in Kenya for an exchange visit courtesy of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHRC). The visiting delegation was briefed on a wide breadth of processes regarding registration, compliance, and funding of parties as referenced to the Kenyan Constitution and enabling laws, Regulations and policy interventions Kenya spreads heads in its mandate. The Registrar, J.C. Lorionokou, during the session, shared the history of Kenya’s political parties’ journey, noting the gains realized in the realization of citizens’ political rights.
ORPP team and host KCHR officials with the Ethiopian delegation during the study visit at ORPP
“Kenya, in its regulatory role of political parties, had a positive impact in enabling political parties in Kenya to be democratic and sustainable institutions. We have made deliberate efforts to promote, protect, and support inclusion measures for Special Interest Groups in our programming and continue to support parties to entrench good governance practices for a better political landscape”, the Registrar informed. Kenya has made efforts to promote the attainment of political rights by the citizens as per our country’s Constitution. These measures further upscale political tolerance and contribute to adherence with human rights since human rights are part of compliance requirements by political parties”, said Assistant Registrar CPA Florence Birya. Assistant Registrar C.S. Agatha Wahome underscored interagency collaboration, including continued collaboration between working between Kenya and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, noting that “The Office advances human rights as political rights are human rights. We are therefore partners—working together, sharing information, especially on violence and violations, and exploring broader areas of cooperation, including support for individuals post election, who face human rights challenges”. A section of the ORPP team in the visit sessions further engaged the guests on technical issues in their respective dockets, such as compliance parameters, the administration of the Political Parties Fund, registration processes, ICT and automation, and institutional structures, among others. “We will put into practice the learning from this insightful session as we recalibrate our country’s political management model,” appreciated Kalkidan Dereje, Head of delegation. The exchange was coordinated by the Partnership and Resource Mobilization Department. On 26th February, the ORPP was present in three designated areas to monitor the By-elections, as part of the Office’s role in elections in line with the Office mandate to oversee political parties’ activities and promote compliance. The monitoring exercise assessed adherence to party nomination procedures, campaign conduct, and overall observance of the legal and regulatory framework governing political parties in Kenya. The ORPP officers, while on the exercise, engaged stakeholders on the ground and documented key observations to inform post-election reporting and continuous improvement. The insights will further be a crux to the ongoing efforts to structure and plan the ORPP participation in the 2027 general election.