The party can hold its closed-door delegates conference on Friday, but pending disputes over delegate selection and leadership structures could put its resolutions under scrutiny.
NAIROBI, Kenya – Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s plan to transform The Equitable Party into the Linda Mwananchi Movement is heading to a crucial test on Friday, November 13, after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal declined to block the outfit’s National Delegates Conference.
The ruling allows the party to proceed with a meeting expected to approve its proposed new name and consider changes to its constitution and internal regulations.
However, the decision does not settle questions about whether the party followed its own rules in selecting delegates, approving the conference agenda and establishing the structures needed to conduct the meeting.
The tribunal directed that the substantive complaint filed by party members Paul Kiragu Gachoka and Pamela Achieng Simwata proceed to a full hearing, leaving open the possibility that resolutions passed at the conference could later be overturned.
The gathering will also take place without journalists, with the party’s interim head of communications at its presidential campaign secretariat, Pauline Njoroge, confirming that media coverage would not be permitted.
“Kindly note that tomorrow’s NDC will be a closed-door meeting, with no media coverage,” Njoroge said.
The party has not publicly disclosed the venue or provided details of the leaders expected to attend.
Why the conference is facing legal scrutiny
Gachoka and Simwata had asked the tribunal to stop the conference, arguing that The Equitable Party had not established a properly constituted electoral college from which legitimate delegates could be selected.
They also questioned the approval of the conference agenda and the process through which the party intended to amend its governing documents.
Their complaint followed an October 23 public notice announcing the planned delegates’ meeting and proposals to change the party’s name, symbol, headquarters and official colours.
Their lawyer, Eddy Otieno, argued that the National Governing Council had not approved the agenda, as required under the party constitution.
He further questioned whether the party had established a National Elections Board and the necessary structures for identifying and confirming delegates.
The complainants warned that allowing the meeting to proceed could result in major institutional changes before the tribunal had determined whether the process was constitutional.
The party opposed the application, arguing that the complainants had not exhausted its internal dispute-resolution mechanisms before approaching the tribunal.
Through lawyer Duncan Anzala, the outfit also challenged their membership, saying they had joined on October 22 and raised objections to the proposed name change the following day.
The party told the tribunal that it had invited them to discuss their grievances, but they did not attend.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties informed the tribunal that it had received the complaints, forwarded them to the party and reviewed the response submitted by its leadership.
The regulator said it considered the objections to have been addressed in accordance with the party constitution.
A second legal challenge emerges
The dispute over the conference has also attracted a separate complaint by Emmanuel Willyngtone Khamala, who has questioned the party’s leadership appointments and the process used to select delegates.
Khamala argues that the party did not conduct grassroots elections to establish legitimate branch and county structures before appointing officials and preparing for the National Delegates Conference.
He has sought intervention from the tribunal to stop the meeting pending determination of his complaint.
The separate petition adds another layer of uncertainty to the party’s transition, although it is distinct from the application by Gachoka and Simwata that the tribunal declined to use to halt Friday’s conference.
The legal challenges mean that proceeding with the meeting does not necessarily bring the dispute over the party’s internal arrangements to an end.
Sifuna’s political vehicle targets 2027
Sifuna unveiled The Equitable Party on October 4, 2026, after his fallout with the Orange Democratic Movement, where he previously served as secretary-general.
Four days later, the party’s National Executive Committee approved a proposal to change its name to Linda Mwananchi Movement.
The proposed rebranding is among the key issues expected to be considered by delegates on Friday.
Other items include amendments to the party constitution, changes to nomination and election regulations, and possible coalition arrangements ahead of the 2027 General Election.
A separate complaint filed by James Onyango Nyangor had challenged plans to conduct elections during the conference. The party told the tribunal that no elections would take place on November 13, and the application seeking to stop the polls was consequently marked as compromised.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties is expected to assess the conference returns before determining the next steps in processing the proposed changes.
