Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna/ FILE Details have emerged of behind-the-scenes efforts by Linda Mwananchi chief Edwin Sifuna to secure the coveted “Ukombozi” name after Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka pulled a first on him.
The fight has now opened a new political front, with Sifuna and his allies seeking consent from Kalonzo’s team to surrender the name.
Besides the renewed efforts, sources intimate that the team is exploring an alternative party in case they fail to convince Kalonzo and his allies to drop the name.
The Star has established that the firebrand Nairobi senator is considering other options, including working with an established political party, as his team races against time to secure a political vehicle.
Sifuna and his allies have announced that they'll launch the party on October 1, and the team has made it clear that he will be on the ballot.
Linda Mwananchi top brass including Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, has been reportedly holding talks to secure the Ukombozi name.
The scramble follows the Registrar of Political Parties’ rejection of plans to rename the United Democratic Party (UDP) to Ukombozi People’s Party (UPP). Sifuna and his allies intended to use the party for the 2027 elections.
“It is a tough decision to make now because the registrar has already cleared the renaming of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition to Ukombozi Alliance Coalition,” a source at the centre of the happenings disclosed.
“They want our consent. Don’t you think that is a hard task now?” the source posed, lifting the lid on the seemingly desperate efforts by the Linda Mwananchi team to secure the party.
The registrar declined the bid to rename UDP to UPP, citing the Ukombozi Alliance Coalition (TUA), which has a similar name.
“Subsequently, this office has not approved or authorised the use of the name ‘Ukombozi People’s Party’ by the ‘United Democratic Party,’” Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou said in a letter dated September 8, 2026.
Lorionokou said TUA had reserved the name on July 26, 2026.
But the latest setback has triggered a fierce reaction from the Sifuna-Natembeya camp, even as a separate claim over the “Ukombozi” identity threatens to further complicate the matter.
It has emerged that the Ukombozi People’s Party name had previously been reserved for Allan Jayuga Akivaga on March 13, 2025.
A letter from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties gave Akivaga 90 days to complete the process. The process was not completed within that period and the reservation lapsed.
That lapse became the first opening in what would later turn into a contest for control of the Ukombozi identity.
Akivaga has now protested the subsequent reservations, accusing the registrar of allowing another applicant to secure Ukombozi-related names while his party was pursuing registration.
He wants the registrar to establish exactly when each disputed application was submitted, received and processed.
He also wants the office to identify those who approved the reservations and explain whether his existing reservation and registration file was considered before other applications were approved.
The intrigue deepened on Monday when Kalonzo announced that Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition had adopted The Ukombozi Alliance as its new name.
“After today, even this podium will change because the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition has this day, September 21, 2026, unanimously agreed to rebrand and change the name to Ukombozi Alliance,” the Wiper leader said.
The move has put Sifuna and Natembeya in a delicate position, with their team seeking consent from the Ukombozi Alliance bigwigs to be allowed to use the “Ukombozi” name.
Section 8 of the Political Parties Act, 2011 prohibits multiple political parties from using the same or a confusingly similar name.
“The Registrar may refuse an application for the registration of a political party if the name of the political party, the abbreviation of the name, the slogan or the symbol that it wishes to use for this Act,” the Act states.
In what deepens the intrigues, DAP-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa said the Azimio side had moved to reserve the name before the UDP rebranding plan.
“We made the request to reserve The Ukombozi Alliance, way before the plan to rebrand Jirongo’s party to Ukombozi People’s Party,” Wamalwa said.
On August 10, a formal objection was filed against UDP’s proposed change of name.
In a letter dated September 8, the registrar said the office had not approved or authorised UDP to use Ukombozi People’s Party.
“Reference is made to your letter dated August 10, 2026, objecting to the public notice allegedly issued by the United Democratic Party (UDP) regarding its proposed change of name to Ukombozi People’s Party (UPP),” the letter says.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
The revelation exposes the high-stakes scramble within opposition circles to secure a political vehicle ahead of the 2027 elections. Sifuna’s pursuit of the “Ukombozi” identity has been complicated by Kalonzo’s rebranding of Azimio, competing party reservations and the Registrar’s rejection of UDP’s proposed name change. With his launch date approaching, the emerging contest highlights the strategic importance of party identities and the narrowing options facing Sifuna’s camp.
