Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has shared official correspondence from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) in an effort to clarify the timeline surrounding the change of name from Muungano Party to The Mwananchi Party.
The legislator said the documents were intended to address questions surrounding the Linda Mwananchi movement and the registration of the political party.
According to a letter dated September 10, 2026, and signed by the Registrar of Political Parties and CEO J.C. Lorionokou, the change of name from Muungano Party (MP) to The Mwananchi Party (TMP) had taken effect under Section 20(5) of the Political Parties Act.
The letter states that the Registrar had received an objection from Lawrence Nzunga on August 30, 2026, challenging the proposed name change.
However, Nzunga subsequently withdrew the objection through a letter dated September 8, confirming that his reservations had been addressed.
The Registrar consequently notified the party that the name change had taken effect.
In his statement, Babu said the principals of the Linda Mwananchi Movement had visited the ORPP on August 4, 2026, to seek clarification on the Linda Mwananchi name and the registration process.
He said the official correspondence was being shared to enable members of the public to independently review the dates and sequence of events.
The Mwananchi Party, in a separate clarification, confirmed that its official name change took effect on September 10, 2026.
The party urged the public to consider the official correspondence and the chronology of events when discussing the matter.
The party's statement followed discussions and questions surrounding the registration process and the relationship between the Linda Mwananchi movement and The Mwananchi Party.
While Babu challenged claims circulating about when the party name was reserved, the ORPP letter provided confirms the effective date of the name change but does not, on its own, establish the full history of any prior reservation of the name.
The debate comes as political actors continue to position themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.
