Babu Owino’s party rejects claims it copied Linda Mwananchi name

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino’s Mwananchi Party (TMP) has defended the timing of its formation and registration following criticism over its dispute with the Linda Mwananchi Movement.

In a statement on Thursday, said the party said its registration and recognition by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) predated the formation of Linda Mwananchi.

TMP said leaders of the Linda Mwananchi Movement visited the ORPP on 4 August 2026 to seek clarification on the status of their application and the recognition of the Linda Mwananchi name.

The party said this happened while its own registration and recognition process was under way.

TMP also said it had previously been known as the Muungano Party before officially changing its name on 10 September 2026.

“It is therefore important that the events surrounding the matter are understood within their proper chronology,” the party said.

The dispute follows the ORPP’s decision not to recognise the Linda Mwananchi Movement after the name was found to correspond with that of TMP.

Owino has also sought to explain when he decided to establish his own political party.

He said his decision dates back to 10 February 2025, when ODM leaders gathered at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi.

Owino said he had initially understood the event to be a prayer meeting linked to the late opposition leader Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission chairmanship.

Instead, he said, he found ODM leaders endorsing Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja for a second term.

“From that day, because I knew that ODM would never give me a chance to contest as Governor of Nairobi, I decided that I would have my own political party,” Owino said.

He said he subsequently made three unsuccessful attempts to register a political party before succeeding on his fourth attempt earlier this year.

“At the fourth attempt, I managed to get a party, early this year. That is long before Linda Mwananchi came into being,” he said.

Owino said the Linda Mwananchi Movement was formed later, by which time he was already pursuing the establishment of his own political vehicle.