Since 1985 all civil servants in Kenya have been required to be members of the national party, the Kenyan African National Union (KANU). [ Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, (Washington: U.S. Department of State, 1989), p.166.] The membership card of KANU is another form of identity document which confers certain electoral rights. Since 1962, Kenya has been, de facto, a one party state, and since 1982, de jure, a one party state. All electoral candidates must be KANU party members. [ Ibid., p. 155.] In 1988 elections, only people with KANU membership cards could nominate candidates, and those receiving 70% of the KANU vote did not have to contest their seat in general elections; KANU members comprise less than 2/3 of the voting public. [ Ibid., p. 164.]

In order to qualify for the 1988 elections, candidates had to be life-members of KANU, and as such were obliged to pay KShs3,000 as sponsorship money. ["Kenya: Cue for Democracy", New African, (London: IC Publications April 1988), p.20.] If the candidate received 25% or more of the votes, then they would be refunded the entire sponsorship money along with the KShs1,000 in fees to the government. [ibid. p.20.] According to the New African, there are about 4.3 million KANU members. [ibid. p.20.]In August 1986, KANU annual membership fees were KShs10. All members were required to wear their party badges as proof of payment. [Colin Legum, ed., Africa Contemporary Records Annual Survey and Documents 1986-1987, (New York: Africana Publishing Company, 1987), p.B324.]

The recruiting methods used were such that uncooperative behaviour from employees could result in the revokation of licences. [ibid. p.B324.] The Mombasa leader, Shariff Nasser, instructed employers to compile lists of all those who had refused to take out membership. [ibid. p.B325.] One particular branch of KANU launched a door-to-door search to track down those who refused to join. [ibid. p.B325.] For more information on the intimidating tactics used to recruit KANU members, please consult the attachments. There is no information currently available to the IRBDC regarding statistics for KANU members who are over 18 years old.

Attached please find excerpts from the following documents:
"Political Intrigues in Kenya", Neue Züricher Zeitung, Bern: Report from Non-Government Organizations, 25-26 April 1986, pp.1-13; "Kenya: Cue For Democracy", New African, London: IC Publications, April 1988, p.20; Colin Legum, ed., Africa Contemporary Record Annual Survey and Documents 1986-1987, New York: Africana Publishing Company, 1987, pp.B324-B327.