Lawyer Wanga in his office in Malindi. Photo by Ben Okweingoti. 
By Ben Okweingoti
Residents of Malindi and lawyers have condemned what they describe as an infringement on the constitutional rights to freedom of association and political participation following the delay in the registration of the Linda Mwananchi political movement.
The controversy follows efforts by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and his allies to register the movement as a political party, with critics accusing the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) of applying inconsistent standards in approving political party names.
Malindi-based lawyer Alfred Wanga questioned the decision by the ORPP to reject the proposed name, arguing that the name Linda Mwananchi had not been reserved by another political party.
Wanga said the decision had raised concerns about whether the political parties registration process was being influenced by political interests.
“Just moments after Hon. Caroli Omondi held a press conference, we noticed that there was a political party that had been registered with the abbreviation ‘Linda’, yet the registration of Linda Mwananchi was denied on grounds of public interest. When people see such things, they start questioning,” Wanga said.
He warned that restricting the democratic space for certain political groups could fuel suspicion and hostility, urging the Registrar to operate independently and without influence from political parties.
“When the democratic space is controlled for a few individuals, it begins creating an environment of suspicion and hostility. The Registrar should stop being influenced by some parties,” he said.
Malindi resident Kens Ondiek said the Linda Mwananchi movement would overcome what he termed political suffocation, while accusing the government of attempting to limit freedom of expression and association.
Ondiek challenged President William Ruto to respect constitutional freedoms and allow political groups to organize freely, including those opposed to his administration.
“The President has failed Kenyans and he should not use his powers to deny others from registering political parties to remove him from power or prevent his critics from pointing out his failures,” Ondiek said.
The dispute escalated earlier this week when Sifuna and a delegation of supporters from the Linda Mwananchi movement visited the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties seeking clarification on whether they could legally adopt the name that has become their political rallying cry.
The delegation met Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou after the ORPP had rejected an application by promoter Charles Wanyonyi to reserve the name “Linda Mwananchi Party of Kenya.”
The rejection reportedly cited similarities between the proposed name and an already reserved slogan, “Linda Mkenya, Boresha Kenya,” as well as public-interest concerns under Section 8 of the Political Parties Act.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Suba South MP and movement spokesperson Caroli Omondi said the Registrar had agreed to reconsider the decision and provide a response by the end of the week.
However, the ORPP did not immediately corroborate the claim.
Omondi said the Registrar's office had previously rejected the application on the basis of the public interest generated by the proposed party name, but maintained that the movement had yet to receive a convincing legal justification for the continued refusal.
The controversy has since triggered renewed debate over the independence of the political parties registration process and the extent to which the State can regulate the formation of political parties without infringing on constitutional freedoms.
