Linda Mwananchi wave sweeps nation as leaders scramble to host rallies

Political excitement appears to be gathering momentum around the Edwin Sifuna-led Linda Mwananchi movement, with leaders scrambling to associate with the outfit ahead of the 2027 poll.

 The movement is increasingly attracting interest from key regional figures keen to host its rallies, signalling its growing influence months after its formation.

 The movement, a youthful faction of the ODM, also includes Siaya Governor James Orengo, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, his Kisii counterpart Richard Onyonka and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.

 Also in the team are Wilberforce Oundo (Funyula), Caroli Omondi (Suba South), Clive Gisairo (Kitutu Masaba), Obadiah Barongo (Bomachoge Borabu), Antoney Kibagendi (Kitutu Chache South), Patrick Makau (Mavoko), Joshua Kimilu (Kaiti), and Majimbo Kalasinga (Kabuchai).

 Other members of the team, which is fast gaining national traction, include former Rarieda MP Raphael Tuju, ex-Makadara lawmaker Reuben Ndolo, Jubilee Party deputy organising secretary Pauline Njoroge and political activists Brian Weke and Bob Njagi.

 Apart from attracting huge crowds at rallies, the team is fast becoming politically fashionable, with leaders across the country keen to associate with it.

 In a notable development, former Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has already held talks with senior figures within the Linda Mwananchi camp, expressing her willingness to host the team in the Mt Kenya region.

 Her move is seen as a strategic attempt to align with an emerging political force that is rapidly gaining traction nationwide.

 She welcomed the Sifuna-led team to Meru, describing the movement as a tsunami that will sweep the region.

 “We are coming to Meru. Welcome to Meru, Linda Mwananchi. We will sweep everyone,” Mwangaza said after the Nairobi meeting.

 The former county boss, associated with Umoja na Maendeleo Party, met Linda Mwananchi principals Orengo and Osotsi in Nairobi on Thursday.

 Orengo confirmed the Linda Mwananchi team is headed to Meru but did not give timelines.

 “The Linda Mwananchi caravan is Meru-bound. After a productive session with Osotsi and Mwangaza today (Thursday), we are preparing to hit the ground,” Orengo said.

 “Date announcement coming soon.”

 “Meru county, we are coming,” added Osotsi, who doubles as the Treasurer of the Linda Mwananchi team.

 The influence of the Linda Mwananchi movement is steadily spreading into the Mt Kenya region, an area traditionally dominated by regional political outfits.

 Jubilee deputy party leader (in charge of operations) Jeremiah Kioni said Nyandarua county residents  had urged him to invite the Linda Mwananchi team to the region.

 Kioni added that the entry of Linda Mwananchi into Mt Kenya could mark a turning point in the region’s political landscape, predicting it would signal the eventual decline of smaller local parties that have long held sway.

 “The people of Nyandarua told me to bring them the Linda Mwananchi team. When that group lands in Nyandarua, all the local parties will stop having meaning,” Kioni told TV47.

 The development adds to a growing list of regions warming up to the movement.

 Sifuna said the aim is to make Linda Mwananchi consequential in the country’s political architecture.

 “We want to build the Linda Mwananchi movement to a place where it is consequential. They first dismissed it as a passing cloud, but people keep showing up for our rallies,” Sifuna said.

 The Star has established that a series of high-profile rallies have already been lined up in key political hotspots, including Kisii, Eldoret, Machakos, North Eastern and Siaya.

 “Linda Mwananchi will tour the entire country to listen directly to the voices and verdicts of Kenyans,” Sifuna said.

 The planned tours are expected to build the outfit’s national appeal while consolidating support among the youth and grassroots networks.

 The movement has positioned itself as a people-driven initiative, tapping into public discontent against the Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza administration.

 According to Kitutu Masaba MP Gisairo, the countrywide rallies are strategic in deciding the approach the team will take in next year’s polls.

 “Our mission is to visit every county, assess conditions on the ground, and then determine whether to field a presidential candidate or work alongside our partners in the United Alternative Government,” Gisairo said.