Mwananchi Party Names Kivutha Kibwana as Patron
The Mwananchi Party associated with Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino has named ex-cabinet Minister and former Makueni Governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana as the party's patron
Owino announced the appointment in a post on his X account on Friday, November 6, describing Kibwana as a distinguished Professor of Law and a defender of human rights.
"The Mwananchi Party is honoured and privileged to have him as our PATRON," Owino said.
KIbwana is a renowned human rights activist, scholar and a seasoned politician who served as the first Governor of Makueni County from 2013 to 2022 who once held Cabinet positions as Minister for Lands and Settlement and Minister for Environment and Natural Resources,
The appointment comes as The Mwananchi Party positions itself as a potential political vehicle ahead of the 2027 General Election, amid discussions among leaders of the Linda Mwananchi movement over the party they will use to contest the polls.
The party was previously known as the Muungano Party then being led by Kibwana before its name was officially changed to The Mwananchi Party on September 10, 2026.
Owino has previously said his pursuit of a political party began in February 2025, after he concluded that ODM would not support his bid for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat. He said he made three unsuccessful attempts to register a party before securing one in early 2026.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) formally confirmed the change of name from Muungano Party to The Mwananchi Party with the name change taking effect on September 10, 2026, following the completion of the statutory public participation process and the formal withdrawal of an objection filed against the proposed rebranding.
The Mwananchi Party, was previously registered as the Muungano Party before initiating the name-change process. Following the party’s announcement of its intention to rebrand, the ORPP invited public representations in accordance with political parties’ regulations.
According to ORPP correspondence, a formal objection was lodged by Lawrence Nzunga on August 30, 2026. However, the objection was officially withdrawn on September 8 after the contested matters were resolved.
Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu subsequently confirmed that the name change had legally taken effect under Section 20(5) of the Political Parties Act, 2011.