The opposition has suffered a major blow after the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal issued orders barring the Azimio La Umoja Coalition from adopting the name Ukombozi Alliance (TUA).

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

In court documents seen by Kenyans.co.ke , PPDT issued interim orders to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties to refrain from taking further steps to formally register TUA over a dispute involving the Wiper Patriotic Front and a petitioner who is also claiming the name.

According to the petitioner, he had already reserved the name Ukombozi Peoples Party (UPP); therefore, ORPP could not issue the name Ukombozi to the Azimio Coalition.

In its orders on Tuesday, October 13, PPDT ruled that the ORPP are barred from approving, gazetting, registering or taking further administrative steps towards the registration or changing the name Azimio to Ukombozi Alliance pending the hearing and determination of the case.

📌 What You Need to Know

"That pending the inter partes hearing and determination of this Application, an interim order be issued restraining the 1st Respondent, whether by itself, its officers, servants or agents, from approving, gazetting, registering or taking further administrative steps towards the registration of the 2nd Respondent under the name "The Ukombozi Alliance (TUA)", the Tribunal ruled.

The Tribunal certified the case as urgent, setting October 29 as the date for mentioning the case to confirm whether ORPP has complied with the directives and for further directions.

ORPP and the Wiper party were also directed to file their responses and send their appeal within seven days.

The move comes days after Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka announced that the Azimio La Umoja Coalition would now adopt the name The Ukombozi Alliance in efforts to accommodate other parties who were to join the coalition.

The name Ukombozi, however, has also been linked to the Linda Mwananchi Movement and particularly its leader, Edwin Sifuna, who was said to settle on UPP as the party on whose ticket he would vie for the presidency.

However, ORPP rejected a proposed change of the United Democratic Party (UDP) name to Ukombozi People's Party (UPP) , citing similarities with the Ukombozi Alliance.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke