LINDA Party claims ownership of name as Sifuna faction battles registration block

The declaration came hours after the Sifuna faction challenged a decision blocking its bid to register Linda Mwananchi as a political party.

Speaking at the party headquarters in Kiambu, LINDA party leader Phanesio Thuku said the outfit was registered in November 2024 and has members across the country, although it is yet to receive a formal registration certificate from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.

Thuku accused the Sifuna-led wing of infringing on LINDA’s identity and threatened legal action over what he termed an attempt to taint the party’s name.

He said the party’s name, symbols and other identifiers were legally protected and could not be used by another political outfit.

“We cannot allow anybody to infringe on our rights or use our identity,” Thuku said.

LINDA officials further sought to distance themselves from the violence and political activities associated with the Linda Mwananchi movement, saying their party should not be linked to the group.

The dispute comes as the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal prepares to hear the case filed by the Sifuna-led faction challenging the decision to block registration of Linda Mwananchi as a political party.

The tribunal is expected to consider the competing claims over the LINDA name and identity as the political dispute moves into the legal arena.