Kalonzo Musyoka’s newly unveiled Ukombozi Alliance is facing a fresh challenge after a political party associated with Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya moved to reclaim the name, saying it had secured the name reservation before the alliance adopted it.
The Ukombozi People’s Party has written to the Registrar of Political Parties seeking the cancellation of Kalonzo’s Ukombozi Alliance name and asking the office to allow it to continue with its own registration process.
The party says it reserved the Ukombozi name in March last year but later wrote to the Registrar asking the office to discontinue the registration process.
Its latest demand follows the rebranding of the Azimio la Umoja coalition as the Ukombozi Alliance, a move that has opened a new dispute within opposition ranks as various political camps prepare for the 2027 elections.
Party Secretary-General Allan Akivaga said the party only learnt that the name had been reserved for the Azimio Alliance after the coalition adopted the Ukombozi identity under Kalonzo’s leadership.
"We came to learn that they told UDP they cannot rebrand because the name was reserved by Azimio Alliance, which was launched by Kalonzo Musyoka yesterday," Akivaga said.
Akivaga accused the Registrar of Political Parties of acting in bad faith by allowing the Ukombozi name to be used by the Azimio coalition despite his party’s earlier reservation.
The party is now asking the Registrar to revoke the Ukombozi Alliance name and reopen the process that would allow the Ukombozi People’s Party to complete its registration.
Akivaga said the party believes its registration efforts are being deliberately blocked because of its perceived association with another political entity.
"They want to frustrate us because they feel it is aligned to some other entity. The only way to find out is to check with the ORPP," Akivaga stated.
The party maintains that its reservation of the name remained valid and that it had already received clearance to move to the next stage of registration.
"The ORPP gave us the go-ahead to submit the registration, the submission of slogans and symbols and all other things. The name reservation was still very active," Akivaga noted.
The Registrar’s office, however, says it has not approved or authorised the use of the name Ukombozi People’s Party.
The disagreement has emerged at a time when opposition leaders are forming and positioning political parties ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.
The Ukombozi People’s Party had been seen as a possible vehicle for Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna as he works towards establishing a political platform for his presidential bid.
The fight over the name could now complicate those plans, with the party insisting that the identity it had sought to use has been adopted by Kalonzo’s alliance.
The dispute has also unfolded alongside other political changes within the opposition.
Embakasi East MP and Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant Babu Owino, who is associated with the Linda Mwananchi camp, recently unveiled his own political outfit, the Mwananchi Party.
The Ukombozi Alliance launch also attracted Siaya Governor James Orengo, another leading figure associated with Linda Mwananchi.
Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, who attended the event, appeared to direct his remarks at Sifuna over the developments surrounding the two political outfits.
"Niko na ujumbe kwa Sifuna. Wewe umeanza kuchezwa, ulikuwa unafikiri uko na marafiki. Ulikuwa unasema utazindua chama cha Ukombozi, imechukuliwa na Kalonzo. Ukasema unazindua chama cha Mwananchi, imeenda na Babu Owino," Barasa said.
The contest over the Ukombozi identity has therefore placed the Registrar of Political Parties at the centre of a dispute involving rival political plans within the opposition.
Sifuna is expected to unveil his political vehicle for the 2027 presidential race on October 3.