How small parties promote democracy in Kenya

Small political parties in Kenya can promote democracy in several ways:

1. Providing alternative views and policies: Small parties can bring different ideas and perspectives to the political discourse, thus adding diversity and enriching public debates.
2. Promoting competition: By participating in elections, small parties can increase competition, making the electoral process more democratic.
3. Holding larger parties accountable: By providing a check and balance on larger parties, small parties can hold the government accountable and ensure that the ruling party does not abuse its power.
4. Representing underrepresented groups: Small parties can give voice to groups that are traditionally marginalized, such as ethnic minorities, women, and young people.

1. Encouraging active citizen participation: When small parties are actively engaged in the political process, they can inspire more citizens to get involved and participate in elections, thus strengthening the democratic process.

Process of registering a political party in Kenya 

To register a political party in Kenya, one must follow these steps:

1. Form a Steering Committee of at least 7 members and draft a constitution for the party
2. Submit an application to the Registrar of Political Parties with a copy of the party’s constitution and a list of at least 1000 members
3. Pay the required fee
4. Wait for the Registrar’s approval or rejection of the application.

Note: The constitution must meet the criteria set by the Political Parties Act 2011, including provisions for democracy, accountability and transparency.

Process of dissolving a political party 

The process of dissolving a political party in Kenya is as follows:

1. A party can dissolve itself through a resolution passed by its governing body and communicated to the Registrar of Political Parties.
2. The Registrar of Political Parties can also initiate the process of dissolution if the party is found to have violated the Political Parties Act or the Constitution.
3. The Registrar informs the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, which then examines the grounds for dissolution and makes a determination.
4. If the Tribunal upholds the dissolution, the party is de-registered and ceases to exist as a legal entity.