BUNGOMA, Kenya- Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has reaffirmed his backing for Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s presidential bid, urging Western Kenya leaders to unite behind him as the region seeks to field a formidable candidate in the 2027 General Election.
Natembeya made the remarks during the Linda Mwananchi homecoming rally in Bungoma, where thousands of supporters gathered to welcome Sifuna at the culmination of a weekend political tour across Trans Nzoia and Bungoma counties.
Addressing the crowd, the governor urged residents not to abandon the movement, saying they should remain united despite expected political competition ahead of the elections.
“You can’t abandon us and go to Kasongo instead, that won’t fly. These guys will come with money. We’ve come from Kiminini, where someone showed up with a plane carrying sacks of money and started distributing it. When the money comes, eat it, but vote the way the people of Ol Kalou voted,” Natembeya told the crowd.
Natembeya’s endorsement builds on resolutions reached earlier this month during a strategy meeting at his Trans Nzoia residence, where leaders allied to the Linda Mwananchi movement endorsed Sifuna as their preferred presidential candidate for 2027 and tasked Natembeya with leading mobilisation efforts in Western Kenya.
The governor has since announced his departure from the Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K), saying his political focus is now on building support for Sifuna’s national campaign while seeking a second term as Trans Nzoia governor.
Sifuna, who has not formally declared his candidacy, has increasingly found himself at the centre of succession discussions within the Linda Mwananchi movement.
The Nairobi Senator has previously said any decision to run for the presidency would be made through consultations with supporters and political allies rather than by personal declaration alone.
The Bungoma rally was the latest stop in Sifuna’s grassroots mobilisation campaign, which included meetings in Kitale, Kiminini and other towns across Western Kenya.
During the tour, supporters handed him cash donations in a show of support for the Linda Mwananchi movement’s grassroots fundraising drive.
The endorsement also comes amid signs of growing support for Sifuna within sections of the opposition.
A recent TIFA poll found that a plurality of ODM supporters preferred him as the party’s presidential flagbearer for the 2027 election, while other Western Kenya leaders have urged the region to unite behind his candidature.