NAIROBI, Kenya — Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has indicated that the Linda Mwananchi movement could abandon its preferred name and adopt a different political party as efforts to register the outfit ahead of the 2027 General Election continue to encounter hurdles.
Sifuna said the name of the political vehicle was not important, arguing that supporters would follow the leadership regardless of the identity eventually adopted.
“If they close all doors, we will come here and say ‘Tent Party of Kenya’ or ‘Maua Party’ or ‘Grass Party’, but you will follow your leaders,” Sifuna told supporters.
He said the political identity mattered less than the credibility of those seeking to lead the country.
“It doesn’t matter which name we give it. What Kenyans are looking for is credible leadership. A name is just a name,” he said.
The remarks come as Sifuna and his allies continue to face difficulties in their efforts to formalise Linda Mwananchi as a political party.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) initially rejected an application to reserve the name Linda Mwananchi Party of Kenya (LMPK), citing similarities with already reserved political slogans and public-interest concerns under the Political Parties Act.
The dispute later moved to talks between the movement’s leaders and Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou, with the Registrar agreeing to reconsider the earlier decision, according to leaders of the movement.
But the name dispute has since taken another turn following the registration of the Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA) Party.
The approval of the LINDA Party has triggered fresh questions over the use of the “Linda” identity, although Sifuna’s allies have distanced themselves from the newly registered party and maintained that it has no connection with the Linda Mwananchi movement.
The dispute has also attracted a separate claimant.
Charles Wanyonyi has claimed that he was the first person to apply for registration of the Linda Mwananchi Party of Kenya and has accused the Registrar of reviewing the matter without involving him.
In a demand letter dated August 5, 2026, Wanyonyi, through Wanzau, Odhiambo & Associates Advocates, said he applied to reserve the name on February 24, 2026.
His lawyers said the Registrar rejected the application on March 4, citing similarities between the proposed name and already reserved slogans, including Linda Mkenya and Boresha Kenya, and determining that it was contrary to public interest under the Political Parties Act.
The lawyers have argued that the subsequent review of the matter, following representations by politicians allied to the Linda Mwananchi movement, directly concerns Wanyonyi’s original application and cannot proceed without his participation.
Despite the registration hurdles, Sifuna said his political camp had made significant progress because opponents had underestimated its strength.
“I want all of you to understand that where we have reached, a big percentage of what we have achieved is because people have underestimated us,” he said.
He dismissed suggestions that the group lacked the political experience to establish a formidable political movement.
“They are saying that these are young people who are kids in politics and don’t know what they are doing. In your mind, you sit and think that Sifuna has no party,” he said.
Sifuna attributed his political experience to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, whom he described as the “engineer of politics”.
“Even if you have underestimated us, this politics we have been taught by the engineer of politics himself, the late Raila Odinga,” he said.
The political party registration dispute comes at a critical stage as parties prepare for the 2027 General Election.
Under the IEBC election preparations schedule, political parties are required to submit the names of their authorised persons and specimen signatures to the electoral commission by October 15, 2026.
Parties must also have their nomination rules certified by the Registrar of Political Parties by October 30 and submit the certified rules to IEBC by November 6.
The electoral roadmap further requires political parties to submit their membership lists to IEBC by March 16, 2027. On the same date, parties must submit the names of candidates intending to participate in their respective primaries, together with the dates and venues of the exercises.
Party primaries and any resulting internal disputes must be concluded by May 8, 2027, ahead of the formal nomination of candidates for the August 2027 General Election.
The deadlines leave Sifuna and his allies with a narrowing window to resolve the Linda Mwananchi registration dispute, secure a recognised political vehicle and put in place the structures required to contest the 2027 elections.
