Speaking during an interview with a local media station on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Oundo, who has become a prominent figure in the Linda Mwananchi caravan, said the attempts to block the movement from securing its preferred name were aimed at denying it an identity and weakening its political momentum.
“I don’t know why this government has run scared of Linda Mwananchi. We are just a movement that is resonating with the people of Kenya,” Oundo said.
He maintained that even if the government or relevant authorities prevented the movement from registering under the Linda Mwananchi name, its slogan and political identity had already taken root among Kenyans.
“Whether you refuse to register Linda Mwananchi as a political party or not, the formation and the movement has entrenched itself in the people of Kenya,” the MP said.
Linda Mwananchi faces registration hurdles
Oundo’s remarks come a day after Linda Mwananchi leader Edwin Sifuna said the movement’s primary objective was not necessarily to establish a new political party, but to retain the Linda Mwananchi identity and brand that has become associated with its grassroots mobilisation campaign.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties has rejected attempts to reserve the Linda Mwananchi name, saying it had already been reserved in 2024 by another political party.
The party, Liberty National Democratic Alliance, which uses the acronym LINDA, had previously reserved the name, presenting a major obstacle to Sifuna and his allies.
Dispute moves to tribunal
The dispute has since moved to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT), which allowed the reservation of the Linda Mwananchi name to remain pending a ruling scheduled for September 15 at 2:30 p.m.
The LINDA party, through its party leader, has also threatened legal action against the Sifuna-led movement over the use of the name.
Despite the legal and registration hurdles, the Linda Mwananchi team has continued its political mobilisation across the country.
During a recent retreat, the movement reportedly identified several existing political parties from which it could select one political vehicle and rebrand it as either the Linda Mwananchi Party of Kenya or the Linda Mwananchi People’s Party if efforts to secure the preferred name succeed.
Speaking in Kakamega, Sifuna similarly dismissed concerns that failure to secure the name would weaken the movement, arguing that its connection with Kenyans goes beyond its formal registration.
The dispute over the Linda Mwananchi name is therefore increasingly becoming a political and legal battle, with the movement seeking to preserve a brand that has already become central to its grassroots campaign ahead of the 2027 General Election.
