Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s plan to rebrand the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition as The Ukombozi Alliance has run into a legal challenge over the name.
Lawyer Allan Jayuga Akivaga has asked the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) to overturn the Registrar of Political Parties’ decision to reserve the name for Kalonzo's new political outfit.
The legal dispute centres on whether the Registrar lawfully reserved the name The Ukombozi Alliance (TUA) on July 20, 2026, while Mr Akivaga’s earlier Ukombozi People’s Party (UPP) registration file remained open, despite the incomplete discontinuation process and his subsequent decision to proceed with registration.
Pending determination of the appeal, the Tribunal has ordered the Registrar to halt further steps towards registering the alliance under the disputed name. It restrained the Registrar from approving, gazetting, registering or taking further administrative steps towards TUA’s registration.
In orders issued on October 13, tribunal chairman Innocent Muganda certified the application as urgent and directed service on the respondents, including Wiper Democratic Movement-Kenya and the Registrar.
They have seven days after service to respond, and the matter is scheduled for mention on October 29 at 2:30 pm.
Mr Akivaga’s appeal says the Registrar approved UPP’s name reservation on March 13, 2025, for no more than 90 days. He notified the office on July 9, 2026, that he intended to discontinue registration, but says the process was never completed.
"The registrar failed to give the appellant notice of, or an opportunity to make representations concerning, the subsequent reservation of the substantially similar political identity," he says.
A Registrar’s letter dated August 6, 2026, said the file was incomplete because required affidavits and other documents had not been provided.
The appeal says the office confirmed that “the discontinuation had not taken effect.” Mr Akivaga says he formally withdrew the proposed discontinuation on September 21 and elected to proceed with UPP registration.
He argues that the Registrar had reserved The Ukombozi Alliance on July 20 while his file remained unresolved. It also alleges inconsistent treatment because the Registrar later objected to another applicant’s proposed use of “UKOMBOZI” on the ground that it resembled TUA.
Wiper Patriotic Front and Ukombozi Alliance Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka addresses residents of Bondo, Siaya County, on September 27, 2026. He called for the legacy and ideals of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to be protected.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation
The appeal describes the Registrar’s actions as “unreasonable, procedurally unfair, irrational” and contrary to Mr Akivaga’s constitutional rights. He also says requests for information about TUA’s reservation and processing have not been adequately answered.
Mr Akivaga wants the Tribunal to quash the July 20 reservation, stop further approval, gazettement or registration of TUA, preserve his UPP file and compel the Registrar to release relevant records. He also wants the office to reconsider UPP’s status.
"The continued public use and promotion of the name “The Ukombozi Alliance (TUA)” following the press release of October 7, 2026 creates a real and continuing risk of confusion and prejudice to the appellant," he adds.
The dispute follows the Azimio coalition’s rebranding to Ukombozi. On September 21, Mr Kalonzo announced that Azimio’s leadership had unanimously agreed to adopt The Ukombozi Alliance name ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Later, Mr Kalonzo said former President Uhuru Kenyatta had resigned from the Azimio coalition’s leadership with immediate effect, and described himself as TUA’s party leader.
The Registrar had also rejected the United Democratic Party’s proposed change to Ukombozi People’s Party in September, citing its similarity to TUA.
Mr Akivaga relies on that decision to argue that the Registrar treated “Ukombozi” as distinctive in another application but failed to account for his earlier file.
He says the unresolved file and reservation left him without an account of how competing applications were assessed. He asks for reservation records, correspondence and reasons for the decisions under law.
The interim order means the Registrar cannot take further administrative steps towards registering TUA on the basis of the disputed July reservation pending consideration of the application between the parties.
