Sifuna's bid to rename TEP faces fresh hurdle

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna. [File, Standard]

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s bid to rebrand his recently launched The Equitable Party (TEP) as the Linda Mwananchi Movement has faced a fresh challenge, with a parliamentary aspirant asking the Registrar of Political Parties to verify whether the proposed changes comply with the party’s constitution.

Ruto Festus, who identifies himself as an aspirant for Member of Parliament in Bomet County, filed written submissions with the Registrar on Wednesday, citing Gazette Notice No. 16427 and Section 20 of the Political Parties Act.

Festus said his objection was not to the proposed name itself, but to whether the process leading to the change complied with the law and TEP’s constitution.

TEP was launched on October 4, with Sifuna unveiled as its party leader and presidential candidate for the 2027 General Election. The party later gazetted a proposed name change to Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM).

The rebranding had already drawn opposition from the Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA), whose founder and treasurer, Purity Ndanu, challenged the proposal, citing two pending cases before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT).

LINDA said Case Number PPDTC/E020/2026 and Case Number PPDTA/E001/2026 were awaiting hearing and determination, arguing that the Registrar should consider the disputes before approving the proposed name change.

In his submission, Festus said that as of October 20, he had not found any public notice, resolution or other document showing that TEP’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) had met and approved the proposed changes.

He cited Article 10.3 of TEP’s constitution, which empowers the National Executive Committee (NEC) to propose amendments but requires certain changes to be approved by the NDC.

The provision covers amendments to the party’s name, symbol, colours, constitution and rules.

Festus argued that an NEC resolution dated October 8 could have initiated the amendment process but was not, on its own, proof that all the required constitutional steps had been completed.

“In my respectful submission, the NEC resolution of 8 October may properly constitute the proposal or initiation of the amendment process contemplated by Article 10.3,” he wrote.

“It should not, however, be treated as conclusive evidence that the party has completed every internal constitutional step required for the final adoption of the proposed changes if approval by the NDC is separately required.”

Festus wants the Registrar to establish whether TEP convened a properly constituted NDC to approve the proposed name change and related amendments to the party’s colours and symbol.

He has also asked the Registrar to verify whether any such meeting complied with requirements on notice, delegates, quorum and voting.