NAIROBI, Kenya — The Linda Mwananchi Movement is preparing to tour the United States to mobilise Kenyan diaspora support and raise funds for Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s presidential ambitions ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka confirmed that the movement is planning a series of diaspora engagements, including a visit to the US, following invitations from Kenyans living abroad.
“Yes, it is true that we have planned a series of diaspora tours, including the US. Kenyans abroad are eager to hear from us. They want to know our plans for the country and what we will do to bring change,” Onyonka told the Eastleigh Voice.
The planned trip would give Sifuna and his political allies an opportunity to engage directly with Kenyan voters abroad while seeking financial support for the movement’s political activities.
Linda Mwananchi seeks US engagement
Linda Mwananchi’s US fundraising director, Paul Lwali, has reportedly approached US authorities to facilitate a two-day visit by the political group.
According to a report published by The Africa Intelligence on September 7, Lwali made a filing under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in mid-August concerning the proposed visit.
The Africa Intelligence reported:
“It (the movement) has announced plans to coordinate and organise the visit of a foreign politician and his team to the United States for a two-day event, the dates of which are not yet known.”
The filing indicates that the planned trip is still at the preparatory stage, with no specific dates publicly announced.
The movement reportedly held its first engagement with Kenyan diaspora members at the end of August, while its US branch, chaired by Philip Musee, is described as one of its most influential overseas networks.
Sifuna’s presidential ambitions
The proposed US tour comes as Sifuna’s political profile continues to rise within the Opposition ahead of the 2027 election.
The Nairobi senator has emerged as one of the politicians associated with efforts to build an alternative political platform following divisions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Sifuna has also held meetings with senior foreign diplomats, including British High Commissioner Matt Baugh and acting US Ambassador Marc Dillard.
Those meetings have generated political speculation over Sifuna’s presidential ambitions and his possible role in a broader Opposition coalition.
Diplomatic engagements involving political leaders have also included representatives from France, Germany and Australia, reflecting the growing international interest in Kenya’s political environment ahead of the next election.
However, diplomatic meetings do not by themselves establish foreign governments’ support for Sifuna’s presidential ambitions.
Diaspora becomes key political constituency
The Linda Mwananchi push into the US reflects the growing importance of Kenyans living abroad in the country’s political and electoral landscape.
Kenyans in the diaspora were allowed to participate in the 2022 General Election from 12 countries.
A total of 10,444 voters abroad were registered for the 2022 election, compared with 4,223 in 2017, according to figures cited by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Under the current framework, out-of-country voting is limited to the presidential election.
The 12 countries initially covered by the diaspora voting programme were Burundi, Canada, Germany, Qatar, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates, Uganda, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The US is therefore both a significant diaspora population centre and an established overseas voting location.
IEBC plans to expand diaspora registration
The political interest in diaspora voters comes as the IEBC prepares to expand voter registration outside Kenya ahead of the 2027 election.
The commission was reported in April to be planning to add 16 countries to the diaspora voter registration programme.
The proposed expansion includes Saudi Arabia, Botswana, Oman, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ghana, Italy, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Ireland, Türkiye, Ethiopia, China and Mozambique.
The expansion is intended to reach countries with significant Kenyan populations, with the IEBC considering factors including population size, feasibility and cost.
The commission has also planned mobile registration centres in selected diaspora hubs, particularly in the United States, Canada and South Africa, to make registration more accessible.
If implemented, the expanded programme could increase the number of Kenyans abroad eligible to participate in the 2027 presidential election.
Gachagua also courts US diaspora
Linda Mwananchi’s planned tour comes as other Opposition leaders step up engagements with Kenyans in the US.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is currently conducting a tour of the United States and has held meetings with Kenyan diaspora communities.
At a Spokane engagement on Sunday, September 6, Gachagua met Kenyans living in the area and discussed issues affecting the diaspora as well as political and social developments in Kenya.
His US tour has given him an opportunity to build relationships with Kenyans abroad at a time when political parties and presidential hopefuls are positioning themselves for 2027.
The competing diaspora engagements highlight the growing recognition among Opposition politicians that Kenyans outside the country could influence both political mobilisation and campaign financing.
Fundraising adds another dimension
For Linda Mwananchi, the proposed US tour has a dual purpose: political mobilisation and fundraising.
Kenyan diaspora communities have historically played an important role in supporting families and communities at home through remittances. Political organisations are increasingly seeking to translate those networks into campaign support, although electoral and campaign-finance rules continue to govern how political activities can be funded.
The US visit would also allow the movement to present its political agenda directly to Kenyans abroad and gather feedback on issues affecting the diaspora.
Onyonka said Kenyans living overseas were interested in understanding what the movement intends to do differently if given an opportunity to lead the country.
That outreach could become increasingly important as Opposition parties attempt to build a united challenge to President William Ruto’s administration.
