Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna officially launched his new political vehicle, The Equitable Party (TEP), on Sunday, October 4, 2026, triggering widespread public debate across Kenya regarding the exact number of members the party has already registered.
Following the launch, party officials claimed that TEP surpassed the one-million mark in mobile registrations within just 24 hours of opening its portal.
However, political analysts and citizens have raised questions over whether these USSD pings reflect legally verified party members in official government registers.
Under Kenyan law, political party membership is strictly governed and authenticated by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP).
To know the true and legal membership count of TEP, citizens must look at the central repository managed under the Integrated Political Parties Management System (IPPMS).
While USSD drives allow supporters to submit their details, a person only becomes an official member after the ORPP validates their National ID against central databases.
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How to Confirm Legal Membership Status for Edwin Sifuna’s TEP Party
The first official method to confirm real party membership status is by dialing the ORPP USSD code *509# on any mobile network.
By following the prompts on *509#, any citizen can check their personal registration details to verify which political party they are legally listed under.
The second method is through the online IPPMS portal or eCitizen, where users can log in with their National ID credentials to view their official party affiliation.
Until the ORPP completes the verification of submitted records and updates its central database, public claims regarding membership tallies remain unofficial estimates.
The ORPP periodically releases verified membership totals for all registered political parties, providing the only legally recognized figures.
For supporters wishing to join TEP and submit their details for ORPP verification, the party directs users to dial *509#, select option 1, and enter party code 100 alongside their National ID number.
