ORPP starts formal process to rename TEP as Linda Mwananchi Movement
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has initiated the formal process of renaming The Equitable Party (TEP) to the Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM), following resolutions adopted by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou confirmed that the office had received the required statutory documents, the committee’s resolutions and public notices published in the local media. The ORPP has also commenced the process of gazetting the proposed name change.
However, the rebranding is not yet complete. The process provides for a 14-day period following publication during which members of the public can submit representations or objections before the proposed change is finalised.
The ORPP said it had approved the preliminary reservation of the name Linda Mwananchi Movement and initiated the subsequent steps required to effect the change. The proposal remains subject to the completion of the statutory process.
The development follows a ruling by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal directing the ORPP to reserve the name Linda Mwananchi Movement after the initial application was rejected.
The proposed rebranding is associated with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and comes against the backdrop of political realignments ahead of the 2027 General Election.
If completed, the change would give the party a new identity as political actors and formations position themselves for the next electoral contest. The outcome will depend on the completion of the prescribed legal and administrative requirements.
