Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has released an official letter from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) detailing the process through which Muungano Party was renamed The Mwananchi Party.
Owino shared the document on Thursday, September 24, 2026, as discussions continued over the political party that could serve as the electoral vehicle for the Linda Mwananchi movement ahead of the 2027 General Election.
According to Owino, principals associated with Linda Mwananchi visited the ORPP on August 4, 2026, to seek clarification on the availability and registration status of the Linda Mwananchi name. He has maintained that the political party he is associated with had already been secured before the movement was established.
The ORPP correspondence dated September 10 provides a detailed chronology of the name-change process. It confirms that the proposed change involved an existing political party, Muungano Party (MP), which sought to adopt the name The Mwananchi Party (TMP), rather than registering an entirely new party.
The process included public notification through Gazette Notice No. 13935, published on August 28. The Registrar noted that an earlier confirmation dated August 25 indicated that no public representations had been received concerning the proposed change.
However, Lawrence Nzunga subsequently filed an objection on August 30 against the proposed transformation of Muungano Party into The Mwananchi Party. The objection did not stop the process permanently, as Nzunga later withdrew it through correspondence dated September 8, after confirming that his reservations had been addressed.
Following the withdrawal, the Registrar formally notified the party on September 10 that the name change had taken effect under Section 20(5) of the Political Parties Act, Cap. 7D.
The documentation has therefore provided an official timeline showing that The Mwananchi Party emerged through the rebranding of Muungano Party.
The development comes as political leaders within Linda Mwananchi continue discussions over the party structure and political vehicle to be used ahead of the 2027 elections. The Mwananchi Party has also begun recruiting members, with Owino recently claiming that tens of thousands had registered within the first few days of the campaign.