NAIROBI, Kenya – Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi has accused the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) of lacking independence, alleging that the regulator is acting at the direction of State House amid a dispute over the political identity of the Linda Mwananchi movement.
Speaking during a television interview on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Osotsi said the dispute had escalated into a legal battle, with the Linda Mwananchi camp challenging the Registrar’s decisions before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal.
“The office of the Registrar of Political Parties is not independent. It is acting at the direction of State House,” Osotsi said.
The allegations come as the Linda Mwananchi movement continues its efforts to secure a preferred political identity ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Registrar rejects Linda Mwananchi name
The dispute began after the movement applied to reserve the name Linda Mwananchi Party of Kenya.
The Registrar rejected the application, citing similarities with existing political party names and slogans as well as public-interest considerations.
Earlier, on June 4, 2026, the movement had applied to reserve the name Linda Mwananchi Movement, but the application was also initially rejected on public-interest grounds.
The movement’s leaders later met Registrar John Cox Lorionokou on August 4 to seek a review of the decision.
Following the meeting, Suba South MP Caroli Omondi said the Registrar had agreed to reconsider the decision and communicate his final position.
“We had an extensive discussion. There is no reason to refuse the name Linda Mwananchi Movement. The Registrar has told us he will review his decision and give us feedback at the end of the week with his final decision on the matter,” Omondi said.
LINDA identity sparks fresh political row
The disagreement became more complicated after the Registrar cited another entity using the LINDA identity.
The Liberty National Democratic Alliance, also known as LINDA, says it began its registration process in 2024 and maintains that it has rights to the name.
Officials associated with LINDA have objected to the Linda Mwananchi movement’s attempts to use the identity.
The Linda Mwananchi camp has disputed the Registrar’s position, with Osotsi saying the movement sought details of the party allegedly preventing it from securing the name.
“We are going to court because the registrar has refused to register LINDA on grounds that another person has registered a party with the same name, which is not true,” Osotsi said.
Osotsi further accused the Registrar’s office of acting improperly despite the movement having previously secured the name.
The dispute subsequently moved to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, where the Linda Mwananchi camp sought orders stopping the Registrar from reserving or registering Linda Mwananchi or similar variations for another entity.
Tribunal allows The Mwananchi Party
As the dispute over the Linda name continued, the political movement pursued an alternative identity — The Mwananchi Party.
On August 25, 2026, the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal issued preliminary orders allowing the Linda Mwananchi faction led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna to reserve and register The Mwananchi Party while the legal dispute is determined.
The Tribunal also directed the Registrar not to consider, process, reserve or register Linda Mwananchi or a similar variation for another individual or entity pending determination of the dispute.
The orders effectively give the movement an alternative political vehicle while its legal fight over the Linda identity continues.
At the same time, the Tribunal allowed the reservation and registration process for the Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA) to continue pending determination of the dispute.
The matter is scheduled to return before the Tribunal on September 14, 2026.
Osotsi questions ORPP independence
The developments have intensified criticism from Linda Mwananchi leaders over the independence of the political parties’ regulator.
Osotsi argued that the decisions surrounding the movement’s preferred name should be viewed within the wider political contest ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also questioned attempts to link the movement’s current political position to political circumstances involving individuals in November 2024.
“Someone in November 2024 cannot have been thinking in the same way the principals of Linda Mwananchi were thinking,” Osotsi said.
His remarks appeared aimed at distinguishing the political actors and circumstances surrounding the 2024 LINDA registration process from the current Linda Mwananchi movement, which has emerged as a significant political formation ahead of the 2027 elections.
