NAIROBI, Kenya — The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) has ordered the Registrar of Political Parties to reserve the name Linda Mwananchi Movement and its abbreviation within seven days, overturning the Registrar’s earlier decision to reject the application.
In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, the Tribunal found that the Registrar’s August 7 decision declining to reserve the proposed name had no legal justification.
The case was brought by Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, Pauline Njoroge and former Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo, who identified themselves as founders of the proposed movement.
The applicants had challenged the Registrar’s refusal to reserve the name and its abbreviation, arguing that the decision interfered with their efforts to establish a political party. The Tribunal subsequently set aside the Registrar’s decision and directed the office to act on the application within seven days.
Tribunal Examines Earlier LINDA Reservation
A central issue in the dispute was the earlier reservation of the name Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA), which had been cited in the Registrar’s decision.
The Tribunal found that the earlier reservation was subject to a statutory 90-day period and that no formal application for provisional registration had been filed within that period.
It therefore held that once the reservation lapsed, LINDA no longer retained priority or an enforceable interest in the name that could prevent another applicant from seeking reservation.
The Tribunal also found that the proposed Linda Mwananchi Movement name was distinct from the earlier LINDA reservation.
LINDA Pleadings Struck Out
The Tribunal also addressed the legal status of Liberty National Democratic Alliance, which had participated in the proceedings as an interested party.
It found that LINDA had not completed its registration as a political party. The Tribunal held that an entity that is not fully registered does not have the legal capacity to sue, be sued or undertake legal proceedings in its own name under the Political Parties Act.
As a result, the panel struck out the pleadings filed by LINDA in the proceedings.
Reservation Does Not Complete Party Registration
The ruling clears the way for the proposed movement to secure its name, but the reservation itself does not amount to full registration as a political party.
The applicants will still have to follow the statutory process for registering a political party after the name is reserved.
The dispute arose after the Registrar initially declined the applicants’ request to reserve the name. The applicants had earlier said they applied to reserve Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM) in June and later challenged the Registrar’s position before the Tribunal.
The ruling now requires the Registrar to proceed with the reservation within seven days, subject to the requirements of the Political Parties Act.
