Linda Mwananchi Secures Approval to Reserve Party Name

The Linda Mwananchi Movement has secured approval to reserve its proposed party name after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal ordered the Registrar of Political Parties to reconsider an earlier rejection.

In a letter dated 1 October 2026, the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) informed the movement’s lawyers, Bansbury Associates Advocates LLP, that the name Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM) had been approved for reservation. The reservation gives the organisers 90 days to proceed with the next stages of registering the movement as a political party.

The approval follows a dispute over the proposed name. The registrar had initially rejected the application, citing similarities between the movement’s acronym and that of an existing political organisation.

The movement’s promoters challenged the decision before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, arguing that the rejection did not have a sufficient legal basis.

On 30 September, the tribunal ruled in favour of the applicants and found that the registrar’s decision was inconsistent with the law and constitutional requirements. It also found that the decision did not adequately comply with provisions of the Political Parties Act governing the registration of political parties.

The tribunal ordered the registrar to reconsider the application and make a fresh decision within seven days. The ORPP subsequently approved the reservation of the name, clearing the immediate regulatory hurdle facing the movement associated with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

The reservation does not mean that Linda Mwananchi Movement has been fully registered as a political party. The organisers must still complete the remaining registration requirements within the prescribed process. The tribunal ruling, however, allows the movement to proceed with its efforts to establish itself formally as a political party.