NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 21 – Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has signalled that the Linda Mwananchi movement could abandon the name and move to a different political party as efforts to register the movement ahead of the 2027 General Election faces persistent hurdles.

📻 Breaking It Down

Sifuna said the name of the political vehicle was not important and that his supporters would follow their leaders regardless of the identity adopted, suggesting that the movement is prepared to proceed under an alternative party if the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) blocks the Linda Mwananchi name.

“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 focus should be on credible leadership rather than the name of the political outfit, invoking a popular expression that a rose would retain its fragrance regardless of the name given to it.

📌 What You Need to Know

“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.

Sifuna’s remarks come amid a protracted dispute over the registration of Linda Mwananchi as a political party, with his camp accusing the Registrar of Political Parties of frustrating efforts to formalise the movement.

The ORPP initially rejected an application to reserve the name Linda Mwananchi Party of Kenya (LMPK), citing its resemblance to already reserved slogans and public-interest concerns under the Political Parties Act.

The dispute has since escalated, with Sifuna and his allies holding talks with the Registrar, John Cox Lorionokou, in an attempt to secure the name ahead of the 2027 polls. The Registrar subsequently agreed to reconsider the earlier decision, according to leaders of the movement.

Confusion erupted over the LINDA political brand after the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties approved the registration of the Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA) Party, triggering a fresh dispute involving Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi movement.

The development comes just days after leaders allied to Sifuna appeared before the Registrar seeking the reservation and registration of the Linda Mwananchi political outfit following their decision to part ways with ODM.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya