NAIROBI — A dispute over the name LINDA is escalating into a legal battle, with a newly formed political party warning Edwin Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi faction against using its name and identity.
Officials of the Liberty National Democratic Alliance, which uses the acronym LINDA, say they have a legitimate claim to the name. They say their registration process began in 2024 and that key party documents have since been approved by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.
The dispute comes as Sifuna and his allies challenge the Registrar’s decision to block their attempt to reserve the name Linda Mwananchi Movement.
The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal has certified the Sifuna-linked case as urgent. The matter is scheduled to be heard on Tuesday, with the Registrar expected to respond to the challenge.
Two groups, one name
LINDA party leader Phanesio Thuku said his party was registered in November 2024 and has members across Kenya, although it has not yet received a formal certificate of full registration.
Speaking at the party headquarters in Kiambu, Thuku accused the Sifuna-led faction of attempting to use an identity that belongs to his party.
“We cannot allow anybody to infringe on our rights or use our identity,” Thuku said.
He said the party’s name, symbols and other identifiers were protected and warned that legal action could follow if the dispute continued.
The LINDA party has also sought to distance itself from the Linda Mwananchi movement and the political activities associated with it.
Sifuna faction challenges decision
The dispute has put the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties at the centre of a growing fight over political branding ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The Sifuna-aligned group says it applied in June to reserve the name Linda Mwananchi Movement. According to documents filed before the Tribunal, the application was initially rejected on “public interest” grounds.
The applicants say the Registrar later agreed to reconsider the decision following a meeting on August 4, only for that position to be reversed days later after the emergence of the Liberty National Democratic Alliance, which also uses the acronym LINDA.
The applicants are now asking the Tribunal to stop the Registrar from processing, reserving or registering LINDA, LINDA MWANANCHI or similar names for another entity while the dispute is being determined.
They argue that the decision affects their constitutional right to political participation.
A contest that could shape 2027
The disagreement is unfolding as political movements and established parties begin positioning themselves for the 2027 elections.
The Linda Mwananchi movement, associated with Sifuna and other opposition figures, has been building a grassroots presence across several counties and has been seeking to turn that support into a formally registered political party.
The emergence of another party using the LINDA acronym has complicated those plans.
The Liberty National Democratic Alliance, meanwhile, says its registration process predates the current dispute. Thuku has previously said the party’s name, manifesto, ideology, constitution and nomination rules have been approved by the Registrar.
The Registrar now faces the task of resolving competing claims while the Tribunal considers the legal challenge.
For Sifuna’s faction, the stakes extend beyond a name. The identity has become closely associated with its political mobilisation.
For the LINDA party, the issue is equally fundamental: whether another political organisation can operate under a name and identity it says it has already secured.
The Tribunal’s decision could determine whether the Linda Mwananchi movement proceeds towards formal registration under its preferred name or is forced to find another political identity before the 2027 election.
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