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Communist Party Marxist Kenya | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chairperson | Mwaivu Wa Kaluka |
| General Secretary | Booker Omole |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Newspaper | Itikadi |
| Membership (2022) | 46,700[1] |
| Political orientation | Marxism-Leninism Pan-Africanism |
| International affiliation | ICOR, I.L.P.S |
| Ideological school | Pio Gama Pinto Ideological School |
| Website | |
| https://www.communistpartyofkenya.org/ | |
| Part of a series on |
| Communist parties |
|---|
The Communist Party Marxist Kenya (CPM-K) is a Marxist-Leninist political party in Kenya. The party was founded in 1993 as the Social Democratic Party (SDP), subscribing to a social democratic ideology. In 2013, the party officially adopted Marxism-Leninism as its guiding ideology, and rebranded itself into the Communist Party of Kenya (CPK).[2] In 2024, the party renamed itself again, adopting its current name.[3]
History[edit | edit source]
In Kenya's 2022 general elections, the CPK decided participate independently, without forming alliances with bourgeois political parties.[4] However, two members in leadership, Mwandawiro Mghanga and Benedict Wachira, signed a memorandum with the Kenya Kwanza coalition (headed by William Ruto),[5] despite the majority of party members opposing this action. CPM-K's 2024 Constitution and Manifesto details the resulting split and subsequent party renaming as follows:
This schism within the party led to a necessary split, with the majority consolidating through a successful rectification programme aimed at establishing unity in thought and purpose. This programme was instrumental in rooting out erroneous ideas, rejecting all forms of revisionism and opportunism, and clarifying the revolutionary line. Through this rectification process, the majority emerged stronger, launching the Communist Party Marxist - Kenya (CPM-K) as a distinct entity, thereby differentiating itself from the reactionary faction.[4]
The CPK held its 2nd National Congress in November 2024 and adopted a new name. The Congress had 126 delegates representing all 47 of Kenya's counties. A week after the Congress, police arrested National Chairperson Mwaivu Wa Kaluka and Organizing Secretary Kinuthia Ndung'u.[3]
In 2024, General Secretary Booker Ngesa Omole survived two assassination attempts.[6] On January 11, 2025, armed men attacked Omole's residence.[6] In April 2025, a car regularly used by Omole was shot at while party members were inside, with one person in the car sustaining a gunshot wound to the shoulder. According to an article in Peoples Dispatch, eyewitness accounts revealed that the car had been trailed by two motorcycles and a white Probox, "vehicles the party claims are commonly used by rogue security agents and hired assassins."[6] Furthermore, CPM-K reported that a police patrol vehicle was present at the scene yet failed to intervene until nearly 30 minutes after the attack, which allowed the assailants to escape.[6]
On February 23, 2026, General Secretary Omole was abducted and assaulted by Kenyan state forces.[7] According to a statement released by CPM-K on social media, the location of his detainment, Mlolongo Police Station, was described as "a station widely feared by the masses and long associated with extra judicial killings and systematic terror against the poor and politically conscious."[8] Omole and seven other comrades were released eight days later. Speaking to a journalist after being released, Omole showed strangulation marks on his neck and explained that he and others had been "abducted by gangs" who were "not ordinary police officers" and who did not identify themselves until later.[9] Omole reported that while in jail, unidentified foreign nationals were allowed to come see him and attempted to link Omole, the General Secretary's office, and the CPM-K "with what they called a drug cartel from Caracas."[9] Omole said he and others were "very disturbed" by this incident and said, "We are wondering: who are these foreign nationals? Who were they? Were they Israeli operatives? Were they American operatives?"[9] Omole explained that the government is engaged in a smear campaign to delegitimize CPM-K.[9]
Membership[edit | edit source]
As of 2022, 30% of CPK members are workers, 44% are peasants, 10% are students, and 4% are soldiers.[10]
Electoral results[edit | edit source]
The party briefly held political office in 1997, winning 15 seats in the National Assembly out of 188. That same year, Charity Ngilu ran for president of Kenya with the party, receiving 7.9% of the vote. After losing this election, Ngilu left the party, and James Orengo succeeded her as party chairman. Orengo ran as the party's presidential candidate in the 2004 elections, only receiving 0.4% of the vote. The party also lost their 15 National Assembly seats from the 1997 election in 2004.
ProleWiki Library[edit | edit source]
Links[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "The Basic National Conditions of Kenya" (2023-02). Itikadi. Archived from the original on 2023-03-31.
- ↑ “The Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) has changed its name to Communist Party of Kenya (CPK).”
Brian Ukaya. "Social Democratic Party of Kenya changes name to Communist Party of Kenya" The Standard. - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nicholas Mwangi (2024-11-22). "Communist Party Marxist Kenya charts a new way forward for a “for a truly independent socialist Kenya”" Peoples Dispatch. Archived from the original on 2024-11-22.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Constitution and Manifesto of the Communist Party Marxist - Kenya. 2024. Communist Party Marxist - Kenya. PDF
- ↑ “The Party came under attack when two of its senior officials joined one of the two leading political coalitions during the 2022 elections campaigns, which went against Party regulations and the 2022 CPK election guidelines. Mghanga and Wachira broke off to join the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, the coalition that thrust President William Ruto into power.”
Interim Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kenya (2022-10-09). "On party unity, the crisis in the Communist Party of Kenya (CPK)" Communist Party Marxist - Kenya. Archived from the original on 2025-12-07. - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Nicholas Mwangi (2025-04-10). "CPM-K officials survive assassination attempt in Kenya" Peoples Dispatch.
- ↑ Nicholas Mwangi (2026-02-25). "Kenyan communist leader Booker Ngesa Omole was abducted, tortured, and remains illegally detained, says CPM-K" Peoples Dispatch.
- ↑ "BOOKER NGESA OMOLE KIDNAPPED BY STATE FORCES PUBLIC STATEMENT AND CALL FOR SOLIDARITY 24 February 2026 The Central Committee of the Communist Party Marxist Kenya addresses the people of Kenya and all progressive forces with urgency, anger, and unwavering clarity." @BookerBiro, 2026-02-25, Twitter/X. (XCancel)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Sovereign Media (2026-03-04). "Kenyan Communist Leader Released On Bail After Torture In Detention". YouTube.
- ↑ "The Basic National Conditions of Kenya" (2023-02). Itikadi. Archived from the original on 2023-03-31.