The Linda Mwananchi Movement, the political outfit fronted by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, is preparing to officially unveil its party this week, a step that turns a group that began as a rebel faction inside ODM into a formal contender for the 2027 General Election.

Bumula MP Jack Wamboka said the launch will take place on Friday, October 30, 2026, in Lavington, Nairobi, with leaders travelling to Kwale County the next day for a public rally. The Standard, in its Thursday edition, described the launch as the movement taking its political ambitions "to the next level".

"We will be launching our Linda Mwananchi party officially on Friday, October 30, 2026, and from there we will be heading to Kwale County," Wamboka said on Tuesday while attending a burial in Bungoma, according to People Daily.

From TEP to Linda Mwananchi

The new party is built on The Equitable Party (TEP), which Sifuna's camp has been rebranding through the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP). The process followed weeks of disagreement between the movement and the registrar over the reservation of the Linda Mwananchi name.

Speaking in Webuye on October 17, Sifuna told aspirants that the rebranding had been completed and approved and urged supporters to drop the TEP banner. "We are through with the rebranding process," he said, promising to invite aspirants to the unveiling of the party's headquarters in Nairobi at the end of the month.

The Kwale rally will mark the movement's return to big public gatherings after a period without rallies.

Who is in the movement

Linda Mwananchi's public face includes Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Siaya Governor James Orengo and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, who toured Nairobi together in September.

Sifuna, a former ODM secretary-general, fell out with the party leadership over its decision to back President William Ruto's re-election, a dispute that ended with his removal from the secretary-general post after the death of former party leader Raila Odinga in October 2025.

Place in the opposition race

The launch comes as the wider united opposition tries to settle on a single presidential candidate. Sifuna is among the names in contention, and a Swiss Poll International survey released on Wednesday placed him third in presidential preference at 17.6 per cent, behind President Ruto and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

On Wednesday, Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua said his party had not endorsed Sifuna, despite his deputy Cleophas Malala lobbying for the senator, and said the opposition should unveil its flagbearer only months before the vote.

Political observers will be watching whether the new party draws aspirants away from ODM in Nairobi, Western Kenya and the Coast, where the movement has been most active.

Photos: The Standard (Kanyiri Wahito); People Daily. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.