BUNGOMA, Kenya- Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s homecoming rally in Bungoma attracted tens of thousands of supporters on Sunday, with a section of leaders renewing calls for him to contest the presidency in the 2027 General Election against President William Ruto.
The rally, held under the Linda Mwananchi movement, marked the climax of a two-day political tour across Western Kenya that included stopovers in Trans Nzoia and Bungoma counties.
Supporters lined major roads before converging at the rally venue, where leaders addressed issues ranging from governance and the cost of living to the country’s political future.
Several leaders used the gathering to publicly endorse Sifuna as a potential presidential candidate, arguing that he should challenge President Ruto in 2027.
The calls mirror resolutions reached earlier this month during a strategy meeting by leaders allied to the Linda Mwananchi movement, where Sifuna was backed as their preferred presidential flagbearer.
Sifuna did not formally declare a presidential bid during the rally.
Instead, he urged supporters to continue mobilising under the Linda Mwananchi movement and maintain focus on what he described as issues affecting ordinary Kenyans.
The Bungoma meeting fulfilled plans Sifuna announced earlier this month, when he told mourners at a funeral in Bumula that he would convene a major political gathering in Bungoma to discuss the region’s development priorities and the country’s political direction ahead of the 2027 elections.
Sifuna, a lawyer by profession, has served as Nairobi Senator since 2022. He previously served for years as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary-General before changes in the party leadership this year.
In recent months, he has emerged as one of the leading voices behind the Linda Mwananchi movement, which has organised rallies in several parts of the country while advocating grassroots mobilisation and political reforms.
Speculation over Sifuna’s national ambitions has grown in recent months.
In May, he said a decision on whether to run for president could not be made by him alone and would depend on broader political consultations and the existence of the necessary support structures.
The Bungoma rally is the latest in a series of political events signalling the start of early positioning ahead of the 2027 General Election, as parties and emerging political movements seek to consolidate support across different regions of the country.