A recent Facebook image purporting to show a gazette notice announcing changes within The Mwananchi Party has been debunked as doctored. The notice, tagged as ‘Gazette Notice No. 9787’, lists Senator James Orengo as the party patron and Paul Ongili, popularly known as Babu Owino, as the party leader. However, this information has been disputed.
An investigation by PesaCheck found that Gazette Notice 9787, published in June 2026, actually announced changes within the Muungano Party, not The Mwananchi Party. The legitimate notice announced changes to the party's constitution and officials. A comparison between the authentic notice and the disputed image reveals significant differences.
The controversy surrounding the image emerged amid a dispute over the registration of Owino's party and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna's Linda Mwananchi political movement. Earlier in July 2026, Owino announced plans to launch a political party in September 2026, with Orengo as its patron. However, the doctored image has no basis in fact.
Further investigation revealed that Muungano Party had changed its name to The Mwananchi Party, as announced in Gazette Notice No. 13935 dated 28 August 2026. The name change took effect on 10 September 2026, following the resolution of a dispute. This new information casts doubt on the authenticity of the original image.
PesaCheck found no record of The Mwananchi Party's particulars being published as they appear in the disputed image. Subsequent gazette notices also show no evidence of the party's details being officially announced. This suggests that the image was fabricated and has no basis in reality.
On 27 September 2026, Linda Mwananchi leaders endorsed Sifuna's presidential bid, adding to the controversy surrounding the party's registration. PesaCheck has verified that the image in question is indeed doctored and has no connection to the official registration of The Mwananchi Party.
PesaCheck, East Africa's first public finance fact-checking initiative, has been working to sort fact from fiction on social media platforms. The organisation, co-founded by Catherine Gicheru and Justin Arenstein, seeks to help the public verify information and make informed decisions. This fact-check was written by PesaCheck fact-checker Harriet Ogayo and edited by senior copy editor Mary Mutisya and chief copy editor Stephen Ndegwa.
Key points
- The image of a gazette notice announcing changes within The Mwananchi Party is doctored.
- Gazette Notice 9787 actually announced changes within the Muungano Party, not The Mwananchi Party.
- The Mwananchi Party was previously known as Muungano Party, with the name change taking effect on 10 September 2026.
