Why Edwin Sifuna should pick his friends wisely

Governance expert Stella Agara claims some politicians are simply hanging on coats of popular political leaders ahead of next year’s election in order to win. Agara tells Mike Kihaki that although the current wave in Linda Mwananchi is pulling many leaders, some have nothing to offer and advises Edwin Sifuna be wary of those boarding his political vehicle.

You have raised concerns about some of the people now associating with Linda Mwananchi. What exactly worries you?

There are only a few leaders in my assessment, who have remained true to the original vision. I am not looking at who is shouting the loudest about Linda Mwananchi or who is saying the most about the dream. I am looking at the people who are investing resources, who have continued to speak the same language and who have not developed new ambitions from those they announced at the beginning of the movement. Some of these now associating themselves with the movement may eventually become baggage.

In your opinion, who are some of the leaders you’re counting on to support Edwin Sifuna to the hilt?

Obviously Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Siaya Governor James Orengo. Look at what they have done. Before Sifuna could even be outside with anybody, Babu stood with him. Orengo has sacrificed his career and continues to pay a huge political price on the ground because he is being accused of not caring about the county but focusing on Linda Mwananchi. These are people who are paying a price and accepting to walk that journey.

But politics is about building alliances. Why should Sifuna be worried about making new friends?

I am not saying people should not make friends. I am saying we should assess the friends being made. Some of these alignments, especially those now forming around him, may be a baggage in the long run. When you started as a national treasure for Gen Z, and then suddenly people begin making you a village kingpin, I have to ask what is happening. You have to ask whether the people around you are pulling you towards the sun or towards a smaller political corner.

What is your great fear about these new alliances?

We could end up reproducing the same kind of government Kenyans are trying to remove. Linda Mwananchi was supposed to be about getting rid of corrupt people and giving Kenyans quality leaders. I understand that politics does not offer us puritans. But it is possible to clean out the worst of them and make sure they are sent home. If people who may not have clean records start associating themselves with a candidate we are propping up as presidential material, I worry.

You have called on Kenyans to “follow the money”. Why is that important?

If people do not have the means, friendships and associations to finance their ambitions, then you must ask questions about who is supporting them and why. A presidential campaign is serious business which requires enormous resources. Kenyans must therefore ask who is funding these campaigns, what those people want and what they expect in return.

You have also warned that Sifuna risks losing his national appeal. How?

My concern is that the friends he is making are dragging him towards a smaller corner of the nation. He was propped up as a national leader, but some people are now trying to make him a Western Kenya kingpin. Sifuna has a nationwide appeal. He should be saying, “I am coming with Kenyans,” rather than “I am coming with my community”. If he does not watch out, he risks losing the greatness he has managed to achieve.

You have been quite critical despite saying you support him. Isn’t that contradictory?

I am saying this because Sifuna is a man I have loved and my family supports him. My brother was even willing to send money to his campaign before he decided to run for the presidency, when he was seeking the Senate seat. I believe he has a good track record and his sins are few, so to speak. That is precisely why I am concerned.

I don’t want to see people who have nothing to offer Kenyans attaching themselves to him simply because they hope to win elections or secure positions. They may become the noose that eventually hangs the candidate.

What should Sifuna do then?

He must carefully choose his friends. Just because you have been named a presidential candidate  does not mean everybody can suddenly become your friend. It requires a special kind of talent to know who will carry the burden you have and who will become a burden to you. He also needs to fortify his political foundation. He had not initially planned for the presidency, and now that he has been pushed into that space, he has a lot of work to do. The people he associates with will determine whether that foundation stands.

There is also the question of political parties. You have argued that anyone who does not have a party by August 31 is wasting time. Why?

If you are serious about running for president, you cannot wait until the last minute to create and popularise a political party. Anybody who does not have a party by August 31 is wasting time because you cannot simultaneously run a presidential campaign and try to popularise a political party. It requires resources and a lot of work.

Do you think the different opposition camps are playing into President Ruto’s hands?

That is my fear. You cannot say you are united if you have multiple presidential candidates moving in different directions. It is like having moving targets while trying to hit one target. You end up confusing yourself. The opposition has to be very careful because the longer this fragmentation continues, the greater the possibility that the incumbent benefits.

You have also raised concerns about people appearing on the Linda Mwananchi platform while supporting other candidates. What is the problem?

I am not necessarily worried about who comes onto the Linda Mwananchi podium. I am worried about whether the voter is using the right lens to assess those people. If someone comes onto the platform, speaks as though they belong there, but during the week is working for another candidate, then voters need to see through that. The danger is that when you eventually get to the negotiating table, those people may not actually bring votes. They will come with their own parties, their own candidates and their own political formations.

But some argue that politics is about numbers and therefore every politician should be welcomed. What is your response?

Politicians will naturally move towards a vehicle they believe can secure them office. That is why Sifuna is suddenly attracting many friends in Western Kenya. They may believe that associating with him gives them a ticket to election. The buses don’t vote. Tell people to get off the bus. Check everybody. Check their baggage. Establish whether they are carrying corruption records, stolen money or other baggage. If they are, even if they say they support Sifuna, send them home.