Linda Mwananchi leaders, Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna, Caroli Omondi (Suba South), and Babu Owino (Embakasi East) address a press conference after meeting with the Registrar of Political parties/ HANDOUTConfusion has rocked attempts by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and his allies to register the Linda Mwananchi movement as a political party ahead of general elections next year.
The development has revived memories of the hurdles Raila Odinga faced while trying to register the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) before the 2007 polls.
Revelations have emerged that the Registrar of Political Parties has approved the formation of the Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA) Party.
The decision has triggered a fresh dispute over the use of the "LINDA" political brand.
This comes amid the emergence of a third party claiming the reservation of the name in February.
Sifuna's team says the developments are a political plot to frustrate the transformation of the Linda Mwananchi movement into a political party.
“These are state shenanigans. Everybody knows who the owner of ‘LINDA’ is. The promoters of Linda Mwananchi are known,” Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi said.
Osotsi disclosed that he personally submitted to the registrar three proposed political party names with an acronym (LINDA) for reservation.
They include the Liberty National Democratic Alliance, the Liberation Democratic Alliance and the Liberal National Democratic Alliance.
“This happened a month ago. About a week after I submitted the names. A week later, he (registrar) sent me a message saying that someone had reserved the same names in 2024. How could that be possible?” he posed.
“That office should not play monkey games with us. We will hold daily rallies there if he attempts to frustrate us. We will send Gen Z to his home and schools where his children are learning,” Osotsi said.
Earlier this week, Sifuna and his allies stormed the Registrar's offices on Wayiaki Way, seeking answers over the refusal to register the party.
The Registrar had declined to register the party name, saying it resembles already reserved slogans.
However, the Sifuna team said the Registrar agreed to review the earlier decision following their meeting with him.
"The Registrar has told us he will review his decision and give us feedback at the end of the week. Once we have the name, everything will fall into place," Linda Mwananchi spokesperson Caroli Omondi, who is also the Suba South MP, told the Star.
Speaking on Thursday, Sifuna said they were still waiting for the outcome.
"We are still within that timeline of one week. Let us wait. He will tell us,” the former ODM secretary-general said.
Sifuna leads the breakaway faction formed after ODM leader Oburu Odinga opted to work with President William Ruto's UDA ahead of the 2027 election following Raila’s demise.
However, a fresh development has emerged that threatens to further complicate the situation for the Sifuna team.
A third claimant has emerged, insisting that he was the first person to seek registration of the Linda Mwananchi Party of Kenya.
Charles Wanyonyi, through Wanzau, Odhiambo & Associates Advocates, accuses the Registrar of reviewing the matter without involving him.
In a demand letter dated August 5, 2026, Wanyonyi says he applied to reserve the party name on February 24.
His lawyers say the Registrar rejected the application on March 4.
The office cited similarities with already reserved political slogans, including Linda Mkenya and Boresha Kenya.
It also ruled that the name was contrary to the public interest under the Political Parties Act.
The lawyers argue the ongoing review directly concerns Wanyonyi's application. They say it cannot proceed without his participation.
"Our client was the first person to lodge an application seeking reservation of the name 'Linda Mwananchi Party of Kenya'. Any review of the earlier decision necessarily concerns his application and cannot lawfully proceed in his absence," the lawyers said.
They also argue that politicians linked to the Linda Mwananchi movement only raised objections after learning of Wanyonyi's application through media reports.
Citing Article 47 of the Constitution and the Fair Administrative Action Act, they say Wanyonyi must be notified of the review. They also want him supplied with all documents and given a chance to present his case.
The lawyers have asked the Registrar to admit Wanyonyi as a primary participant in the review. They also want his original application reconsidered before the name is allocated to anyone else.
Osotsi said they were aware of Wanyonyi’s attempt to register the party but maintained that there was a caveat that the name belongs to Sifuna team.
The unfolding dispute mirrors events that befell Raila before the 2007 general election.
After the 2005 constitutional referendum, lawyer Mugambi Imanyara moved quickly and registered the Orange Democratic Movement name.
The move caught Raila's team off guard. It forced them to adopt Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya (ODM-K) instead.
"I knew that the Orange side of the constitutional contest would transform itself into a political party. I took the initiative to register the party called ODM," Imanyara recalled in a recent interview.
"At the time, Raila and his group fought hard for me to relinquish the party to them."
Imanyara said Raila's allies even enlisted the then Attorney General Amos Wako to persuade him to surrender the party.
"I remember at one time Amos Wako asked me to hand over that party to them. They wanted to force me to relinquish the party," he said.
The situation later worsened after ODM-K split into rival factions aligned to Raila and Kalonzo Musyoka.
Kalonzo’s faction, led by Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo, rebranded as Orange Democratic Movement–Kenya (ODM-Kenya).
It was at that point when the current Makueni Senator, Dan Maanzo, declared that ODM-K belonged to Kalonzo and Raila was left partyless.
With few options left, Raila returned to Imanyara.
"The first thing Baba said was, 'I am sad that I fought you very hard for registering the ODM party, but I didn't know a day would come when I would need what you registered. Can you show me the certificates?'" Imanyara recalled.
He eventually handed over the party to Raila.
"You can imagine the kind of jubilation that followed the declaration that Raila had solved a very big political problem," he said.
Nearly two decades later, Sifuna's team finds itself battling over a party name.
