Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has secured a temporary reprieve in the fight over the Linda Mwananchi name after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal issued orders protecting the name from being registered by another group.
The Tribunal issued the orders on Tuesday, August 25, following a day-long hearing on the dispute.
Under the orders, the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has been stopped from processing, reserving or registering the name Linda Mwananchi, or a similar name, for another person or organisation until the case is determined.
The decision gives Sifuna’s faction some breathing room as it continues its efforts to secure the political identity ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The Tribunal also allowed the registration process for the Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA) Party to continue as the case is heard.
The two sides are both claiming the Linda name and have maintained that they followed the requirements set by the ORPP.
Officials from the LINDA Party told the Tribunal that they started the registration process in 2024 and had already built a support base in different parts of the country.
The party’s lawyer said the Registrar had confirmed that they had met the requirements, with only one set of documents remaining at the time.
“The Registrar of Political Parties, having confirmed that our client complied with every other thing, requested that they provide just a single set of documents, which they have since provided,” the lawyer said.
LINDA officials have accused the Sifuna-led group of using their name, symbols and identity, saying this could confuse their supporters.
They have threatened to take further legal action to protect what they consider to be their party’s identity.
Sifuna, however, has maintained that the issue is not about stopping another party from being registered.
“What we are fighting for is not a party. We have parties. We are fighting for our brand, our name,” he said.
The dispute comes as political groups begin laying the groundwork for the 2027 elections.
For Sifuna and his supporters, securing the Linda Mwananchi name is seen as an important step in establishing the movement’s political identity.
The case will return before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal on September 14, 2026, when the dispute is expected to proceed.