“Wametii”: Sifuna Reacts as Linda Mwananchi Finally Gets Approval
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi Movement has finally got the greenlight it was waiting for – the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties has approved the reservation of the group’s name after months of uncertainty hanging over its registration.
The Registrar of Political Parties John Lorionkou confirmed the go ahead in a letter that dropped on Thursday, 1st of October, following a landmark ruling by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) which ordered the Registrar to book the name in the first place.
Now Sifuna’s faction has got a brief window of 90 days to get on with the next steps in registering as a political party ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Registrar Approves Linda Mwananchi Movement Name
It all started with a ruling by the PPDT in a case involving Michael Caroli Omondi and another contender against the Registrar of Political Parties and the name approval came as a result of that.
The Tribunal essentially overturned an earlier decision to reject the application and told the Registrar to reserve the Linda Mwananchi Movement name.
In the letter the Registrar wrote out on the 1st of October he confirmed that the go ahead was a go – literally quoting the law that backs it.
“‘Pursuant to the judgement in the PPDT case number PPDTA/E001/2026 ( Michael Caroli Omondi & Another vs Registrar of Political Parties and section 8 of the Political Parties Act), your application to call your outfit Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM) has been given the thumbs up,” he said in part.
Clearing one of the major obstacles on their path to becoming a fully-fledged political party was a huge deal for the movement.
Linda Mwananchi Given 90 Days to Complete Registration
Getting the name approved is just the first hurdle cleared out of the way though – the movement now has to get through the rest of the registration process.
The name reservation is only good for 90 days from the day the letter was sent out – so they need to get through provisional and formal registration within that timeframe.
The 90 day marker is especially crucial with the 2027 General Election looming large on the horizon.
Sifuna Reacts to Linda Mwananchi Approval
Sifuna, the Nairobi Senator and perceived leader of the Linda Mwananchi movement, posted the letter from the Registrar of Political Parties on social media after the approval was announced.
Along with the document, Sifuna snuck in a cheeky caption: ““Wametii” (translation: they’ve accepted us)
Sifuna is tipped to be the face of the movement, with many expecting him to make a formal announcement in the coming days.
The latest development could well be the break the movement needed to get on with the organisational and registration process.
Tribunal Overturned Earlier Linda Mwananchi Rejection
It all came about after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal knocked back the Registrar’s decision to turn down the application to reserve the name Linda Mwananchi.
The Tribunal basically said the Registrar’s decision was unjustifiable and a denial of rights for the people to either form or be part of a political party.
‘The decision to decline the registration name Linda Mwananchi was over turned by the Tribunal’, they said.
This ruling meant the Registrar had to re-consider and reserve the name in the stipulated time frame.
Tribunal Rules on Linda Mwananchi and LINDA
Another point of contention in this dispute was whether the Linda Mwananchi movement was too similar to the Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA).
The Tribunal decided they are, actually, quite distinct from one another.
Additionally the previous registration for LINDA had expired some time ago, not that it would’ve mattered but it did help clear up an additional issue.
Babu Owino’s Mwananchi Party Also Draws Attention
The dispute also raised questions over the timing and name of Babu Owino’s Mwananchi Party.
It all seemed rather suspicious in relation to the formation of the Linda Mwananchi movement.
However after a bit of back and forth, Babu clarified that his outfit is actually running independently.
He went on to say he had started working on it after deciding to go for the Nairobi Gubernatorial seat on the 10th of February 2025.
To re-iterate – the Mwananchi party has been around since before The Linda Mwananchi movement was a glimmer in anyone’s eye.
And that all came down to wider discussions on what the competing parties will look like ahead of the General Election in 2027.
What Linda Mwananchi Approval Means Ahead of 2027
Well the go ahead for Linda Mwananchi means they can now move on to the next stage of the registration process.
But with a 90-day window, they still have some hoops to jump through before it’s all finalised.
And for Sifuna and his entourage it means a clear path to get their party up and running.
As the general election of 2027 draws closer, the focus now will be on getting the Linda Mwananchi party registered before the 90-day limit is up.
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“Wametii”: Sifuna Reacts as Linda Mwananchi Finally Gets Approval
