Progress Plus Alliance (PPA) party leader Arnold Maliba has outlined plans to establish the Linda Mwananchi Movement as a unified political platform ahead of the 2027 General Election, with The Equitable Party (TEP) expected to adopt the movement’s name as part of the process.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Thursday, Maliba said the movement was bringing together politicians and individuals from different political parties to create a common platform, adding that its identity was broader than that of any single political outfit.
He explained that TEP had been used to organise the group’s political interests, but the intention was to move towards using the Linda Mwananchi Movement name as its electoral vehicle in the next general election.
“Linda Mwananchi is a movement that brings together individuals, political parties and people with different political persuasions. For organisational purposes, these interests are now coming together under the Linda Mwananchi Movement, using what was initially the Equitable Party as the vehicle to consolidate them,” Maliba said.
The planned change comes as political leaders and parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections, with the movement seeking to bring together people from different political backgrounds under one identity.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna was unveiled as TEP leader and presidential candidate during the party’s launch on October 4, 2026. The party later began the process of changing its name to Linda Mwananchi Movement.
Maliba said the initiative was designed to accommodate a wider range of political interests instead of limiting membership and participation to people affiliated with one party.
“The concept is, of course, bigger than any political party,” he said, pointing to politicians associated with Wiper, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Jubilee and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) who had appeared on the movement’s platform.
He explained that the movement and the political party served different purposes, with the former bringing together people with shared political interests and the latter providing the structure needed to contest elections.
However, the proposed name change has faced administrative hurdles, including objections from another political outfit, as the group works to complete the required processes.
Maliba said the outstanding issues were being addressed and expressed confidence that the movement would soon adopt its preferred identity.
“We have a few administrative challenges, including objections to the proposed name, but they are not major. We expect to adopt the Linda Mwananchi Movement identity soon and use it as our political vehicle for the 2027 General Election.”
One of the challenges has come from the Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA), which has opposed TEP’s proposed adoption of the Linda Mwananchi Movement name.
LINDA lodged an objection with the Registrar of Political Parties, arguing that the proposed rebranding should not proceed while two cases before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal remained unresolved.
Maliba questioned the basis of the objection, arguing that the group behind the challenge had not completed the registration process after initially reserving a similar name.
He explained that reserving a political party name did not give applicants an unlimited period to complete the registration process, noting that they were required to act within the prescribed timeframe or apply for a fresh reservation.
“So within that 90 days, you must commence the process of registration. If you do not commence registration, then you have got the other alternative of going back and starting the process of reserving that name again,” he explained.
The disagreement follows an earlier decision by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal that overturned the Registrar of Political Parties’ refusal to reserve the Linda Mwananchi Movement name.
Following the ruling, the Registrar approved the reservation for a period of up to 90 days from October 1, 2026, giving the applicants time to proceed with the remaining registration requirements.
Maliba said he planned to obtain copies of the objections alongside lawyer Titus Makhanu to establish their implications for the proposed transition.
He also acknowledged that a separate objection relating to compliance with the required procedures could need further review as the group seeks to resolve the outstanding matters.
The objections and the remaining administrative requirements are expected to shape the next phase of TEP’s proposed transition to the Linda Mwananchi Movement identity.
Despite the hurdles, Maliba maintained that the main objective was to establish a common political platform that could unite individuals and parties with different political affiliations ahead of the 2027 General Election.