End of long wait as Linda Mwananchi gets Sifuna's 2027 vehicle

Linda Mwananchi has finally found a political home for its 2027 presidential bid, taking over the leadership of The Equitable Party, a party registered in 2022, with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna unveiled as its leader and presidential candidate.

The development ends months of uncertainty over the political vehicle for the movement, which has been seeking to transform its growing political presence into a formal party structure ahead of the 2027 elections.

At its formative stage, TEP was established by a group of political actors led by Dr Eunice Juma and Kerry Karani, with Gilbert Marava Shanga serving as party leader.

The party has now been restructured to accommodate Sifuna and the Linda Mwananchi team, with Sifuna saying that the intention is to change its identity to the Linda Mwananchi movement.

The transition means Sifuna is not launching a new party from scratch, but taking over an existing political vehicle and seeking to turn it into the national platform for his presidential campaign.

Sifuna said the move marks a break from his former political home,ODM, after efforts to change its direction failed, forcing him and his allies to chart a new political course.

“We tried our best to prevail among our former comrades that the path they were on would lead the party to lose its face, but unfortunately, we failed to persuade them,” Sifuna said.

He insisted that TEP was not simply a party being borrowed for political convenience, but a political home for Kenyans who believe the country can do better.

“We believe in a Kenya where leadership is a responsibility, not a privilege, where public resources are taken as a public trust and where government is judged by what it delivers to ordinary citizens,” he said.

Sifuna said the new political outfit would focus on the cost of living, taxation, unemployment, education, equitable development and accountability.

But with the vehicle finally secured, the political battle now shifts to whether Sifuna can build a national coalition capable of mounting a serious challenge against President William Ruto.

Former Siaya governor James Orengo gave Sifuna his backing, maintaining that he had not changed his position on the senator’s suitability for the presidency.

“I have not changed my view on whether Sifuna is fit to be Kenya’s president. I have been asked that question several times, and my position still stands that Sifuna is fit to run for presidency,” Orengo said.

Orengo said he stood with Sifuna when ODM began fighting him and after the party moved closer to Ruto.

“This is an important occasion because now we have a party as Linda Mwananchi,” he said.

Former Kakamega governor Boni Khalwale, however, cautioned Sifuna against treating the launch as the culmination of his presidential journey.

“Sifuna, do not get excited. The heartbeat has just started, and if you think it is easy, ask Orengo and Kalonzo,” Khalwale said.

He urged Sifuna to work with experienced opposition figures, including former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, former Interior Cabinet secretary Fred Matiang’i, Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua and former Defence Cabinet secretary Eugene Wamalwa.

“You cannot do it alone. You are going to need to stand on the shoulders of Orengo. You will need to humble yourself and stand on the shoulders of Rigathi, Matiang’i, Karua and your brother Eugene Wamalwa,” Khalwale said.

He also warned against relying too heavily on opinion polls, saying surveys could shift the political narrative in either direction.

“Ruto, listen, I am the father of opinion polls in Kenya, and I for sure tell you that opinion polls are a double-edged sword. It can cut anyway,” he said.

The call for opposition unity was echoed by Majimbo Kalasinga, who warned that multiple opposition formations could weaken the challenge to Ruto.

“We want this new party to have a national image. We want a party that will have all types of people in this country. We do not want a party that belongs to one region or one community,” Kalasinga said.

He added: “If we have 27 national opposition formations, how are we going to win? We must find a way of coming together and giving Kenyans one strong alternative.”

Jack Wamboka urged Sifuna to treat the presidential bid as a national undertaking rather than a personal ambition.

“My brother Edwin, today your candidature is not about you. It is about the people. It is by the people and from the people,” Wamboka said.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino said Linda Mwananchi had been built through sacrifices by its supporters and urged Sifuna to focus on the hardships facing Kenyans.

“This movement has been built through sweat and sacrifice. The citizens who are sitting here have sacrificed. We have used all resources to build this movement,” Babu said.

He said the new party must address unemployment, education, healthcare and the cost of living.

“We have to win the 2027 elections. If we don't do it in 2027, we are all going,” he said.

Vihiga senator Godfrey Osotsi said 32 branches that were initially associated with ODM had officially joined the new party, signalling an effort to build structures beyond Sifuna’s Nairobi base.

Osotsi urged Kenyans from across the country to join the party, saying it would seek representation across ethnic communities.

“They keep telling us that we have no plan. Our plan is to uphold the Constitution,” he said.

The push to present TEP as a national party will be crucial as Sifuna seeks to expand beyond his established political base and bring together a generation of younger voters with experienced opposition figures.

For Linda Mwananchi, the search for a political home is over. For Sifuna, however, the harder political journey has just begun.

He now has the party, the ticket and the movement behind him. The test will be whether he can turn all three into a nationwide political coalition ahead of 2027.