Sifuna’s options amid the battle for Linda Mwananchi

Funyula Member of Parliament Wilberforce Oundo Ojiambo has criticized the government's efforts to prevent the Linda Mwananchi movement from registering as a political party. Despite any attempts that may fail, Ojiambo maintains that the movement's identity is firmly entrenched among Kenyan people. This comes after Edwin Sifuna, the team leader of Linda Mwananchi, clarified that their struggle is not for a political party but for the identity and brand name of Linda Mwananchi.

The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties rejected the registration request, citing a similar name reserved by a separate party, Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA), in 2024. The Linda Mwananchi team has now taken the matter to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, which is scheduled to rule on September 15. The team leader has threatened legal action against the opposing team over the use of the party name.

The Sifuna-led team plans to choose one of three political parties for their rebranded entity or continue using the Linda Mwananchi name. The movement's spokesperson revealed that the future political party will be a center-left party focused on social democracy and economic renaissance, aimed at improving Kenyans' livelihoods for the 2027 General Election.