- The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties wrote to The Equitable Party on October 13, 2026, confirming it had begun the gazettement process for a name change
- The Equitable Party submitted documents requesting a rebrand to Linda Mwananchi Movement following a NEC meeting held on October 8, 2026
- Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna had unveiled the Linda Mwananchi brand as his political vehicle ahead of the 2027 General Election
Nancy Odindo is a current affairs writer at Tuko.co.ke (joined in 2023). She has one year of experience in print and more than five years in digital media.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has formally initiated the gazettement process to rename The Equitable Party (TEP) to Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM), a step that clears a significant path for Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna's 2027 political ambitions.
Source: Facebook
In an official letter dated October 13, 2026, and referenced RPP/FRP/100/Vol V (15), ORPP Registrar J. C. Lorionokou confirmed to TEP's secretary general that the party's application had been received and acted upon.
The process is being carried out under Section 20(1)(d) of the Political Parties Act, Cap. 7D.
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TEP's name change application
TEP held a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on October 8, 2026, at which members resolved to adopt the Linda Mwananchi Movement name.
The party subsequently published a notice of the intended change in the Daily Nation on October 10, 2026, as required under the law. Following that publication, the ORPP moved to initiate the gazette notice.
"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," the notice read.
Under Section 20(4) of the Political Parties Act, TEP is required to report any public representations received within 14 days of the publication before the name change can be finalised.
Edwin Sifuna's political vehicle
The Linda Mwananchi brand is closely associated with Sifuna, who has been building the movement as his primary political platform ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The senator spent months cultivating the Linda Mwananchi identity among Kenyans, only to encounter obstacles during the initial registration attempt.
The dispute over the name was eventually taken to a tribunal, which ruled in favour of Sifuna's camp and ordered that the Linda Mwananchi name be preserved for 90 days.
The decision gave the team a window to formalise the brand through an existing registered party, leading to the acquisition of TEP and the subsequent application for a name change.
The ORPP's letter, posted on Thursday, October 15, 2026, marks the latest formal step in that process, signalling that the Linda Mwananchi Movement could soon be a legally gazetted political party in Kenya.
Source: Facebook
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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