NAIROBI, Kenya- The Linda Mwananchi movement has formally named presidential aspirant Edwin Sifuna as its leader and candidate for the 2027 General Election, ending months of uncertainty over who will carry its presidential ambitions.
In a statement issued after a leadership meeting on Saturday, September 26, the movement said Sifuna would unveil the political party whose ticket he will use in early October.
“Edwin Sifuna is our leader and presidential candidate,” the statement said.
The decision is a major political development for the emerging movement, which has faced internal tensions over its leadership, presidential ticket and choice of an electoral vehicle.
Linda Mwananchi also announced plans to build a coalition with parties that share its political agenda.
“We will seek to build a coalition with like-minded parties that share our commitment to the people of Kenya,” the leaders said.
The statement accused President William Ruto’s administration of failing Kenyans and said the movement had resolved to advance together in pursuit of better governance.
“We remain united and focused on the work ahead,” it said.
Sifuna emerges from leadership contest
Sifuna’s formal endorsement settles one of the most consequential questions facing Linda Mwananchi as it seeks to transform its public rallies into an organised presidential campaign.
He has been the movement’s most visible national figure and has increasingly positioned himself as a challenger to President Ruto.
Embakasi East MP and Mwananchi Party Leader Babu Owino previously endorsed Sifuna for the presidency while declaring his interest in the Nairobi governorship.
Siaya Governor James Orengo had also expressed an interest in the presidency, creating uncertainty over whether the movement would enter the election with competing aspirants.
Saturday’s decision establishes Sifuna as the movement’s candidate and significantly narrows the political space available to any rival presidential bid from within Linda Mwananchi.
Party vehicle to be unveiled
Attention will now turn to the party Sifuna intends to unveil in early October.
The political vehicle has been a major source of disagreement within the movement. Owino leads The Mwananchi Party, while Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya controls the Ukombozi People’s Party.
Some leaders had proposed Natembeya’s party as the vehicle for Sifuna’s presidential campaign, while others backed the outfit associated with Owino.
The dispute carried broader implications because the selected party would control candidate nominations, campaign structures and negotiations with potential coalition partners.
By announcing that Sifuna will personally lead the party’s unveiling, Linda Mwananchi has placed him at the centre of both its political and organisational structure.
The statement did not identify the party or explain whether Owino’s and Natembeya’s outfits would join it through a coalition.
Movement moves to contain infighting
The announcement followed weeks of public tension among supporters of Linda Mwananchi’s principals.
The divisions became more visible after the movement’s September 13 rally at Jacaranda Grounds in Nairobi, when supporters of Sifuna and Owino clashed online over mobilisation, leadership and control of the movement.
Reports also indicated disagreement over rally management and the competing political ambitions of its principals. Some Linda Mwananchi leaders acknowledged privately managing an internal crisis while publicly maintaining that the movement remained united.
Former Deputy President and DCP Leader Rigathi Gachagua had urged the leaders to contain the differences, warning that continued infighting could undermine efforts to build a united opposition ahead of 2027.
The formal endorsement gives Linda Mwananchi a defined presidential candidate, but its next test will be building a functioning party and negotiating alliances without reopening disputes among its principals.
