NAIROBI, Kenya — The Registrar of Political Parties has approved the reservation of the name Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM) following a ruling by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal directing the office to reconsider the application.
Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, one of the promoters of the proposed political party, announced the development on Friday, saying the name had been approved in compliance with the court order.
A letter from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), signed by Registrar John Cox Lorionokou, confirmed that the application had been approved pursuant to Section 4B of the Political Parties Act and the tribunal judgment in Michael Caroli Omondi & Another v Registrar of Political Parties.
The approval reserves the name for a period of not more than 90 days from the date of the Registrar’s letter.
Tribunal Had Ordered Fresh Action
The development follows a September 30 ruling by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, which set aside the Registrar’s earlier decision declining to reserve the name Linda Mwananchi Movement and its abbreviation, LMM.
The tribunal found that the Registrar had no legal basis for rejecting the application and directed the office to take action on the name within seven days.
The dispute involved Omondi, Pauline Njoroge and Faith Odhiambo, who identified themselves as founders of the proposed movement.
The tribunal also found that an earlier reservation associated with Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA) had lapsed and could not be relied upon to block the new application.
Omondi Calls For Political Law Changes
Welcoming the Registrar’s decision, Omondi applauded the office for complying with the tribunal’s orders.
He also called for amendments to the Political Parties Act and the Elections Act, arguing that provisions he described as unconstitutional should be removed.
Omondi further proposed that public funding for political parties should be limited to election expenses, saying this would promote transparency and what he described as a level playing field.
He claimed that political parties were seeking about Sh70 billion from the National Treasury and described the demand as a misuse of public resources.
Name Reservation Is Not Full Registration
The Registrar’s letter specifically approves reservation of the name for up to 90 days. It does not, by itself, amount to full registration of Linda Mwananchi Movement as a political party.
Under the political party registration process, name reservation is a step towards registration, after which promoters must meet the applicable statutory requirements.
The development nevertheless clears an immediate hurdle for the group as it works to formalise its political vehicle ahead of the 2027 General Election.
