- The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties has started the gazettement process for The Equitable Party’s proposed name change.
- The party wants to adopt the name Linda Mwananchi Movement, following a resolution passed by its National Executive Committee on October 8, 2026.
- The party submitted statutory documents and published a notice in the Daily Nation and on its website.
- The process follows a tribunal decision that overturned the earlier rejection of the name reservation.
- Public representations will be invited before the registrar completes the process and issues the relevant registration certificate.
The Equitable Party has moved another step towards adopting the name Linda Mwananchi Movement after the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties began the formal gazettement process. The proposed change follows the party’s decision to operate under a new identity linked to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and his political allies. The process is not yet complete, as the proposed name must go through the remaining legal steps.
Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou confirmed that his office had reviewed the documents submitted by the party and initiated the process of publishing the proposed change. The action falls under Section 20(1)(d) of the Political Parties Act. Gazettement will allow the public to respond to the proposed change before a final decision is made.
The proposed rebrand follows a National Executive Committee meeting held on October 8, 2026. Members resolved to change the party’s name to Linda Mwananchi Movement and also approved changes involving the names of party officials.
The party subsequently published a notice in the Daily Nation on October 10 and shared it through its official website. It also submitted Statutory Form PP.10 as part of the required documentation.
These steps formed part of the statutory process required to pursue the change. The registrar’s latest communication indicates that the submissions were reviewed and the gazettement stage has begun.
The process follows an earlier dispute over the use of the name Linda Mwananchi. The ORPP had initially rejected the reservation request, citing a possible conflict with another registered political outfit associated with the acronym “LINDA”.
The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal overturned that decision on September 30, directing the registrar to reconsider the matter after finding that the rejection lacked a legal basis. The ORPP subsequently allowed the name to be reserved for a limited period, clearing the way for the party to pursue its proposed rebrand.
The reservation decision and the formal change of name are separate steps. The current gazettement process is part of the procedure required before the party can complete the transition to its proposed identity.
Linda Mwananchi Movement Plans to Build Grassroots Support
Sifuna and his allies have presented Linda Mwananchi as more than a vehicle for the 2027 General Election. They have described it as a grassroots political movement focused on the socioeconomic interests of ordinary Kenyans.
The proposed identity places those concerns at the centre of the group’s public message. Its eventual political role will depend on the decisions and activities of its leaders, as well as the legal and organisational steps required to establish the new name.
The next stage is publication of the proposed change in the Kenya Gazette. This will give members of the public an opportunity to submit representations before the registrar concludes the process.
The party will need to complete the applicable legal requirements before receiving a final certificate reflecting the new name. Until that process is concluded, Linda Mwananchi Movement remains the proposed identity rather than a fully completed change of registration.
