Former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana is seeking to rebrand his Muungano Party (MP) as The Mwananchi Party (TMP), sparking speculation about a possible link to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi or simply another political positioning in readiness for 2027.
Mr Sifuna and his Linda Mwananchi team have suffered major political setbacks in the last couple of weeks after the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) blocked their bid to register the popular brand formally.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga (centre), Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna (right) and other opposition leaders acknowledge greetings from members of the public during a women empowerment program in Mosocho, Kisii County on July 3, 2026.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
But as the team was getting rejections over its attempt to formalise the movement, Prof Kibwana was busy filling out documents with a request to rebrand his party.
It is no secret that Prof Kibwana has been rallying support for Mr Sifuna and his movement through his social media platforms.
“In exercise of the power conferred by section 20 (1)(d) of the Political Parties Act, the Registrar of Political Parties gives notice that Muungano Party (MP) intends to change its party name to The Mwananchi Party (TMP).”
“Any person with written submissions concerning the intended change by the political party shall within seven days from the date of this publication, deposit them with the Registrar of Political Parties,” a gazette notice by Registrar John Cox Lorionokou dated August 24 states.
A source at the ORPP confirmed the request. The official said the office was yet to receive any submission objecting to the plan.
Prof Kibwana did not respond to our enquiries about his reasons for rebranding and whether he has a plan to partner with the Linda Mwananchi politicians ahead of next year’s General Election.
Mr Lorionokou, in a recent interview with the Nation , revealed that the Liberty National Democratic Alliance Party, commonly known as Linda Party and the Mwananchi Party were in the process of being registered.
Mr Sifuna’s team was denied their popular brand on the basis of these two parties, which reportedly reserved the names before the movement could formalise its identity.
According to the office, Linda Party reserved its name on November 15, 2024.
Independent candidates present their documents at the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties in Nairobi in 2017.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
The Registrar confirmed that an application to reserve the name Mwananchi Party was also lodged by Pius Onyango in July 2026 and remains under consideration.
Beyond the row over the "Linda Mwananchi" brand, the Registrar also clarified the ongoing confusion regarding the Ukombozi People’s Party (UPP).
There have been reports of a plan to rebrand the United Democratic Party (UDP) to UPP. UDP was associated with the late Cyrus Jirongo.
But Mr Lorionokou said UPP remains an active reservation by Allan Jayuga Akivaga, who reportedly made the request on March 13, 2025. This means UDP cannot rebrand to become UPP.
"UPP is a party I think applied in March of 2025 to be a political party, and it has been in process," Mr Lorionokou said.
"In my record, UPP is a reserved name for a political party in process for registration. Unless UPP discontinues the process, then you cannot just pick up a party because it's a reserved name."
The movement is racing against time to meet some of the electoral timelines set by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which include a requirement to submit the names and signatures of its members by October 15.
Its officials, however, remain confident that they will have a political party in time to participate in the 2027 contest.
In a recent interview, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi declined to mention some of the outfits the movement is considering over fears of state interference. He, however, confirmed having multiple options to pick from.
“Linda Mwananchi is a brand that has been marketed by us. Kenyans know we are the people behind the brand, but when we went to reserve the name, it was rejected for reasons that do not make any sense,” said Mr Osotsi.
“We have decided to go to the tribunal to challenge that decision. But we want to tell our people that they should not be worried because we have multiple options,” said Mr Osotsi.
Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi (left) and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna during a press briefing at Karen Hospital on April 11, 2026, following Osotsi’s discharge from the facility.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation
He said blocking them from registering Linda Mwanachi, whose political wave has caught the political landscape, would not slow down their 2027 political game plan.
The Vihiga senator said those backing the team are doing so because of the movement’s vision for the country. He said they still enjoy the backing under a new political banner.
“In the event they deny us our brand, we will proceed under a new name. It is the personalities and ideals that have made people support us. So having a party is not one of our worries at the moment.”
To avoid another state interference, Mr Osotsi said they will make the name of the new party public at the right time.
“We know the government is determined to frustrate our moves. What we can tell our supporters is that there is a party. In the past elections, parties that were formed in the run up to the polls proceeded to win, including UDA that was formed ahead of the 2022 elections,” said Mr Osotsi.
