Confusion as Govt Registers LINDA Party After Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi Is Denied Registration
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Confusion has emerged over the registration of a new political party known as the Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA Party) after leaders associated with the Linda Mwananchi movement complained that the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) had declined to reserve their preferred name.
The debate intensified after Fenancio Thuku, the founder and party leader of the LINDA Party, announced on Wednesday, August 5, that the party had received approval for its key registration documents and was on course to becoming a fully registered political party.
Speaking outside the Registrar of Political Parties’ offices, Thuku said the Liberty National Democratic Alliance Party was founded in 2024 and had successfully cleared major registration requirements.
“We had come here to submit our party documents, which have already been approved,” he said.
According to Thuku, the ORPP has approved the party’s name, constitution, manifesto, ideology and nomination rules, leaving it on the path to full registration.
“The LINDA Party, which is an abbreviation for Liberty National Democratic Alliance Party, was founded back in 2024,” he said.
He added that the party’s slogan is “LINDA Kenya, Boresha Kenya” and said its agenda would focus on protecting Kenya’s sovereignty, constitutionalism, human rights, individual liberty and the rule of law.
“I am happy and glad to inform the people of Kenya that the LINDA Party will be launching very soon,” Thuku said.
He also declared that his team were the “official” and “legitimate” founders of the LINDA Party and called on Kenyans to join the party in large numbers.
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Pauline Njoroge Questions the Registration of LINDA Party
Shortly after Thuku’s announcement, political activist Pauline Njoroge criticised the emergence of the LINDA Party, arguing that it raised fresh questions about why the Linda Mwananchi movement had been denied registration.
In a post on X, Njoroge dismissed the explanation behind the party’s name.
“This administration is incompetent in every way. They could not even find a more convincing ‘LINDA PARTY’ owner,” she wrote.
She questioned why the party was using the abbreviation “LINDA” when its full name is Liberty National Democratic Alliance.
“And shouldn’t this particular party be abbreviated as ‘LNDA’? Besides, our LINDA is not even an abbreviation. It’s a Kiswahili word,” she said.
She further accused the authorities of insulting Kenyans’ intelligence and insisted that Linda Mwananchi would continue pursuing registration.
“Linda Mwananchi is our movement, and we will get our name,” she wrote.
She also argued that political parties with similar names have existed before, citing examples such as Ford Kenya and Ford Asili.
“So, we will not buy flimsy excuses as to why the ORPP is refusing to reserve our name,” she added.
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Registration Row Continues
The controversy over the Linda Mwananchi name began after the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) declined an application to reserve Linda Mwananchi Party of Kenya.
The Registrar said the proposed name closely resembled already reserved names and slogans, including “Linda Mkenya, Boresha Kenya,” and cited Section 8 of the Political Parties Act (Cap. 7D) as the basis for the decision.
However, on August 4, 2026, a delegation from the Linda Mwananchi movement led by Caroli Omondi met Registrar of Political Parties John Lorionokou at the ORPP headquarters to seek a review of the decision.
After the meeting, Caroli Omondi expressed optimism that the matter would be resolved, saying the Registrar had agreed to reconsider the application and issue a final decision before the end of the week.
“There is no reason to refuse the registration of the name. Before the end of the week, he will get back to us with the final decision,” Omondi said.
The registration process has also been complicated by competing claims over the proposed party name.
Earlier, Charles Wanyonyi filed an application to reserve the Linda Mwananchi name, a move that supporters of Edwin Sifuna challenged, arguing that Wanyonyi had no authority to act on behalf of the movement.
The dispute later escalated after lawyers representing Wanyonyi accused the ORPP of reopening discussions on the proposed name without involving their client, setting the stage for a legal battle over who has the first right to use the Linda Mwananchi name.
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Photo of Edwin Sifuna, Caroli Omondi, Babu Owino and other Linda Mwananchi leaders addressing the public after ORPP did not consider registering the party on August 4. PHOTO/Linda Mwananchi
