Babu Owino Sets Record Straight on Mwananchi Party Name Change

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has released correspondence from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) detailing how the political outfit now known as The Mwananchi Party acquired its name, amid an unresolved dispute over the Linda Mwananchi identity.

Owino published the documents on Thursday, September 24, saying the official record was necessary to clear up questions surrounding the formation of the party and its links to the Linda Mwananchi movement.

The documents show that The Mwananchi Party was formally renamed from Muungano Party on September 10, 2026.

That distinction is significant because the party has been at the centre of a wider political dispute involving Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna's Linda Mwananchi movement and the separate Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA).

“There has been discussion around the Linda Mwananchi name and the formation of The Mwananchi Party,” Owino said. “For clarity, here is the official letter from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) on the change of name.”

ORPP sets out the timeline

According to the Registrar's letter dated September 10, the process began with a proposal to change the name of Muungano Party to The Mwananchi Party.

A notice of the proposed change was published in the Kenya Gazette on August 28, giving members of the public an opportunity to raise objections.

The Registrar's correspondence says no public representations were received within the initial process.

However, an objection was filed by Lawrence Nzunga on August 30 against the proposed change.

The objection was later withdrawn on September 8 after Nzunga confirmed that his concerns had been addressed.

Two days later, the Registrar formally notified the party that the name change had taken effect under Section 20(5) of the Political Parties Act.

The official record therefore places the formal change from Muungano Party to The Mwananchi Party on September 10.

It does not describe the legal name change as a conversion of a registered Linda Mwananchi party into The Mwananchi Party.

Why the Linda name remains contentious

The dispute goes beyond the name of Muungano Party.

Sifuna and his allies have been pursuing the Linda Mwananchi identity as the political brand around their movement, while officials of LINDA have separately claimed rights to the Linda identity.

The disagreement has already reached the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal.

In August, the Tribunal issued interim orders allowing the competing political formations to continue with certain reservation and registration processes while the dispute was being pursued.

The Tribunal also stopped the Registrar from processing a fresh application by another person or entity for the name “Linda Mwananchi” or a similar variation pending determination of the appeal.

The case remains significant because the competing groups are trying to establish their political identities ahead of the 2027 General Election.

A decision in the dispute over the Registrar's handling of the Linda Mwananchi application had been scheduled for September 30.

Sifuna and Owino now on different tracks

The dispute has also exposed differences between two prominent figures associated with the Linda Mwananchi movement.

Sifuna has continued to position the movement as a broader political platform, while Owino is now leading The Mwananchi Party.

The Star reported earlier this month that the two politicians had differed over the political vehicle the movement should use in the 2027 elections.

Sifuna's camp has separately pursued legal avenues over the Linda Mwananchi name.

In an earlier statement, Sifuna said the legal fight was about protecting the movement's identity rather than simply securing a registered political party.

“We are fighting for a brand, our name,” Sifuna said in August.

That distinction is now central to the dispute.

What the documents establish — and what they do not

The ORPP correspondence provides a clear administrative timeline for The Mwananchi Party.

It establishes that the party's registered name changed from Muungano Party to The Mwananchi Party on September 10, following a public notice and the withdrawal of an objection.

But the document does not settle the wider political dispute over who has the right to the Linda Mwananchi brand.

That question is being contested separately through the political parties dispute process.

It also means claims that The Mwananchi Party was simply created by changing the name of an existing Linda Mwananchi party would not accurately reflect the ORPP record released by Owino.

For now, the political question is bigger than the paperwork.

With the 2027 elections approaching, rival opposition groups are racing to secure recognised parties, names and symbols. The ongoing Linda dispute could therefore have consequences beyond branding, particularly for politicians seeking to build a common political platform.

Owino's release of the Registrar's correspondence is the latest attempt to put the official chronology on record.

The next major development is expected from the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, where the wider dispute over the Linda Mwananchi identity remains before the legal process.

About the Author

Maureen Onyango is a journalist passionate about storytelling, life coaching and spiritual lessons. She studied at the Kenya Institute of Management and enjoys telling stories that inform, inspire and empower communities.