Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has responded to the ongoing debate over the Linda Mwananchi name and the formation of The Mwananchi Party.
In a statement on Thursday, September 24, Owino shared a letter from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) outlining the events surrounding the change of the party’s name.
The MP said leaders associated with Linda Mwananchi had earlier approached the ORPP to seek clarification over the use of the name before the change was eventually approved.
Owino noted that the Linda Mwananchi principals visited the ORPP on August 4, 2026, to seek clarification regarding the name.
According to the letter shared by the MP, the name change was subsequently effected on September 10, 2026.
The letter, written by Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou to the Secretary General of The Mwananchi Party (TMP), concerns an objection to the proposed change of name from Muungano Party (MP) to The Mwananchi Party (TMP).
Lorionokou explained that the objection was later withdrawn after the concerns raised by the objector were addressed.
The Registrar referred to an objection letter dated August 30, 2026, submitted by Lawrence Nzunga over the proposed name change.
Nzunga later withdrew the objection through a letter dated September 8, 2026, stating that his concerns had been resolved.
Following the withdrawal, the ORPP confirmed that the party’s name change had formally taken effect in accordance with the Political Parties Act.
The Registrar therefore notified the party that the change of name had taken effect under Section 20(5) of the Political Parties Act, Cap. 7D.
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Owino said the letter was made public to provide clarity on the sequence of events leading to the name change.
The development comes amid growing debate over the future of the Linda Mwananchi movement.
Nyaribari Masaba MP Daniel Manduku recently predicted that the movement could experience internal divisions because its members are associated with different political parties.
Speaking on September 17, Manduku said disagreements could eventually emerge along existing party lines.
He also argued that politicians who leave established parties could struggle to mount effective campaigns because of the loss of party structures and machinery.
Manduku specifically cited Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Owino, saying their departure from ODM had demonstrated the importance of established political party structures in electoral campaigns.
