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Democratic Action Party of Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa has accused the national government of obstructing the Linda Mwananchi movement's efforts to register as a political party before the 2027 General Election. In a statement on September 20, 2026, Wamalwa alleged that the government was intentionally preventing Linda Mwananchi from becoming a political party to prevent competition at the polls.

"I told my brother @EdwinSifuna and our colleagues in Linda Mwananchi that the Broad-Based Government is determined to block the registration of the Linda Mwananchi Party to avoid competition at the ballot," Wamalwa asserted. He dismissed these efforts as "an exercise in futility," stating that alternatives would still be available to the movement and its supporters.

Wamalwa singled out his own Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-Kenya) as one potential political option for the movement. "It is an exercise in futility as there are many options, including DAP-Kenya!" he added. The allegations stem from a legal battle over Linda Mwananchi's political identity and the struggle to secure a formal party registration ahead of the 2027 elections.

In August 2026, the Political Parties and Disputes Tribunal permitted Sifuna's team to reserve the name "The Mwananchi Party" pending appeal resolution. The tribunal also prohibited the Registrar of Political Parties from processing or registering "Linda Mwananchi" or a similar name while the dispute remained unresolved. The controversy pits Sifuna's faction against the Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA), which claims the right to use the LINDA name.

Recent reports suggest internal divisions within Linda Mwananchi regarding which party should be adopted, with figures like Babu Owino and Sifuna associated with different political entities. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has announced that the identity of the party he will use in his presidential campaign will be revealed within two weeks.

Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi stated that Linda Mwananchi has already secured an alternative party option while pursuing its legal claim to a preferred name. A video shared by digital strategist Pauline Njoroge on social media on September 19, 2026, highlighted the senator's determination to overcome what he described as attempts to impede the group's search for a political vehicle.

"Who will we name the party? We are moving forward. They are trying to take our name; we move to the underground, on the 30th of next month, we will announce," Osotsi declared in the video.