Siaya Governor James Orengo was absent from the latest opposition realignment after Linda Mwananchi endorsed Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna as its leader and presidential candidate and announced plans to unveil a new political party next month.
In a statement issued on September 26, the movement’s leadership said it had resolved to move forward united around Sifuna’s candidacy and a shared agenda of what it described as better governance for Kenyans.
The leaders said they had unanimously agreed that Sifuna would serve as the movement’s leader and presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Sifuna Endorsed for President
Linda Mwananchi said Sifuna would spearhead its political activities as it seeks to build a national platform ahead of the next election.
“H.E. Edwin Watenya Sifuna is our leader and Presidential Candidate,” the statement said.
The movement added that Sifuna would lead the unveiling of the party on whose ticket he plans to contest the presidency.
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The launch is expected in early October and is set to mark the movement’s official entry into electoral politics.
The endorsement comes at a time when Sifuna has increasingly positioned himself among opposition figures critical of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Linda Mwananchi Coalition Plans
The movement also resolved to pursue a coalition with other parties and groups that share its political agenda.
According to the statement, the coalition effort will bring together like-minded organisations committed to what the movement described as serving the interests of Kenyans.
“We will seek to build a coalition with like-minded parties that share our commitment to the people of Kenya,” the statement said.
The coalition push is expected to form part of the movement’s strategy as political alignments begin to take shape ahead of the 2027 elections.
The endorsement is likely to complicate the presidential ambitions of James Orengo, who only weeks ago declared that he would seek the presidency in the 2027 General Election.
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During a burial in Homa Bay County on August 28, the Siaya governor publicly announced that he was entering the race and described himself as “a serious presidential candidate.
Since making that declaration, Orengo has maintained that leaders within the Linda Mwananchi movement should be allowed to compete for the presidential ticket instead of endorsing a candidate prematurely.
He argued that the coalition should embrace internal democracy before settling on a flag bearer.
The movement’s decision to back Edwin Sifuna therefore hands the Nairobi senator a significant advantage in a contest that had increasingly appeared to feature two prominent presidential hopefuls.
Orengo previously revealed that the question of choosing a presidential candidate had already triggered disagreements among coalition principals during a retreat in Limuru, saying he opposed attempts to discuss the matter before wider consultations were held.
He admitted that some leaders were unhappy with his position.
With Linda Mwananchi now formally endorsing Sifuna as both its leader and presidential candidate, attention is likely to turn to whether Orengo accepts the decision, seeks to challenge it internally, or pursues his presidential ambitions through another political arrangement.
The endorsement comes against the backdrop of an increasingly crowded opposition race ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Besides Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, several opposition figures have either declared presidential ambitions or are being touted as potential flagbearers, including Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
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