Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou/FILEThe Office of the Registrar of Political Parties has initiated the process of changing the name of The Equitable Party (TEP) to Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM).
The process will pave way for Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s political vehicle to adopt the new identity.
In a letter addressed to the party, Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou confirmed that his office had received and reviewed documents submitted by TEP seeking approval for the proposed change of name.
The documents included a notice and signed attendance list for the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on October 8, 2026, as well as a resolution approving the change of name.
The party also submitted the statutory Form PP.10 for the change of name and evidence that the proposed change had been published in the Daily Nation newspaper on October 10 and on its official website.
“Upon review of the documents, this Office has initiated the process of gazettement of the proposed change of party name in accordance with Section 20 (1) (d) of the Political Parties Act, Cap. 7D,” Lorionokou stated in the letter.
The process marks a step towards the formal adoption of the Linda Mwananchi Movement name, although the Registrar’s communication does not indicate that the change has been finalised.
Under the procedure outlined in the letter, the party is required to wait for the expiry of 14 days from the date of publication of the proposed name change in the newspaper before reporting any representations received from members of the public.
The Registrar directed TEP to inform his office of any objections or other representations submitted by the public and explain how they had been addressed.
“Following the expiry of fourteen (14) days from the date of publication of the change of name in the newspaper, the party is requested to apprise this Office of representations received from the public, if any, regarding the proposed change of party name and the manner in which such representations have been addressed,” the letter stated.
The requirement is provided for under Section 20(4) of the Political Parties Act.
The proposed rebranding comes amid political realignments ahead of the 2027 General Election, with Sifuna positioning himself and his allies around the Linda Mwananchi platform.
The proposed change would give the movement a formal party identity aligned with the Linda Mwananchi name, which has featured prominently in its political messaging.
However, the Registrar’s letter indicates that the process must follow the statutory requirements, including gazettement and consideration of any representations from the public, before the proposed change can be completed.
