Political parties and public policymaking

Abstract

This chapter explores the link between political parties and public policy processes in Kenya. It demonstrates how the political economy in developed regions has generated political parties linked to specific economic interests and public policy positions. Under the quite different circumstances in Africa, notably social formations based on ethnic affiliation, political parties take on different characteristics. The chapter discusses the challenges they face in influencing public policy processes, examined more closely in the Kenyan context with respect to public participation, gender equality, and national security. Their influence has been limited stemming mainly from ethnic-based composition, internal indiscipline, poor leadership, and polarized partisanship on critical national issues. The chapter goes on to highlight the role of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), which is responsible for managing and regulating the party system as envisioned in the Political Parties Act of 2011. In the light of the perpetual underperformance of political parties in Kenyan policymaking and the equally unsatisfactory performance of the ORPP in enforcing its regulatory policies, the chapter ends with a discussion on what might be done to improve the situation.