Linda Mwananchi Gets Green Light as Sifuna-Linked Team Pushes Ahead

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna during a past Linda Mwananchi rally. PHOTO | COURTESY

The team behind the proposed Linda Mwananchi Movement has received a major boost after the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties approved the reservation of the movement’s name.

The decision clears an important hurdle for the group, which has been linked to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, as it works to establish itself ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The Registrar’s approval comes days after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) ordered the office to reconsider its earlier decision rejecting the proposed name.

In a letter dated October 1, 2026, Registrar of Political Parties and CEO John Cox Lorionokou confirmed that the name had been approved in line with the requirements of the Political Parties Act.

The name will remain reserved for 90 days, giving the promoters time to complete the next stages of the registration process.

The dispute over the name had been taken to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal after the Registrar initially declined to reserve it.

The case involved Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, Pauline Njoroge and former Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo, who challenged the Registrar’s decision.

On September 30, the Tribunal overturned the earlier decision and directed the Registrar to reconsider the application and communicate the outcome within seven days.

The dispute also touched on the name “Linda” and an older political outfit associated with the Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA).

The Tribunal found that the earlier reservation had expired, meaning it could not be used as the basis for blocking consideration of the new application.

Sifuna team gets room to organise
The latest decision gives the Linda Mwananchi promoters more room to organise as they work towards meeting the requirements for political party registration.

Sifuna has been publicly associated with the movement, which has also attracted attention through the involvement of other political figures, including Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.

However, the approval of the name should not be confused with full registration as a political party.

The movement will still have to meet the remaining legal and administrative requirements before it can operate as a fully registered political party

The 90-day reservation period now gives the promoters time to push ahead with the registration process.

For the movement, the Registrar’s decision removes a significant obstacle that had threatened to delay its plans.

As Kenya’s political landscape begins taking shape ahead of the 2027 elections, attention will now turn to how Linda Mwananchi builds its structures, membership and political presence.

For now, the name has been secured — and the team behind the movement can get on with the next phase of its plans.