The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) has overturned the Registrar of Political Parties’ decision to reject the Linda Mwananchi Movement name. The Tribunal ordered the Registrar to reserve the name within seven days. It found no legal basis for the Registrar’s decision to reject the reservation request.
The Tribunal also ruled that the decision denied the applicants their right to form or participate in forming a political party. The case involved Caroli Omondi, Pauline Njoroge and Faith Odhiambo, who identify themselves as founders of the Linda Mwananchi Movement.
The applicants challenged the Registrar’s refusal to reserve the name and its proposed abbreviation, LLM. They asked the Tribunal to overturn the decision and compel the Registrar to approve the name in their favour.
The Tribunal granted their request to reserve the name but rejected their other prayers. It therefore directed the Registrar to complete the reservation process within seven days of the ruling.
Tribunal Rules on LINDA Party Participation
The Tribunal also considered the participation of Liberty National Democratic Alliance (LINDA), commonly known as Linda Party. It found that LINDA did not qualify as a fully registered political party at the time.
The Tribunal consequently ruled that LINDA lacked legal capacity to sue, face a lawsuit or participate in the case. It therefore struck out the pleadings that LINDA had filed as an interested party.
The ruling now gives the Registrar seven days to reserve the Linda Mwananchi Movement name. The decision adds a new development to the dispute surrounding the proposed political movement and the Linda name.
