I am ready to lead the country, says Sifuna as he moves to consolidate Western bloc

Crowd at Nambale as Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna leads Linda Mwananchi tour of Busia County. [Michael Mute, Standard]

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna is on a mission as he moved to ringfence support in Western and consolidate the region's support under his political wings as he resumed a series of rallies in the region, pitching to residents why they should reject President William Ruto and rally behind new leadership.

Yesterday, mammoth crowds of supporters trailed the Linda Mwanainchi brigade as they held rallies across Busia County, where Sifuna launched a sustained attack on President Ruto's administration over governance, the economy, healthcare and what he termed failed policy reforms.

The senator, who is on a three-day political tour of Busia and Kakamega counties, addressed charged rallies in Bumala, Butula and Nambale, insisting that his mission is to unseat President Ruto in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking before enthusiastic supporters in Butula, Sifuna dismissed claims by the President and his allies that he lacks the political experience required to lead the country, arguing that leadership is founded on wisdom and sound judgment rather than longevity in politics.

"I want to tell Ruto, who says Sifuna has no experience to lead this country, what kind of experience is required for someone to know that you should not kill young people using bullets? What experience is needed to know that you should not lob teargas into a church while people are worshipping?" posed Sifuna amid loud cheers.

The senator went further, citing recent incidents of alleged police brutality as evidence that Kenya requires leaders guided by wisdom rather than political experience.

 "What experience is needed to know that you should not take a young man like Albert Ojwang from Homa Bay to Nairobi only for him to die inside a police cell? We have also seen another young man, Eric Owino, lose his life in the hands of the police. If the experience they are talking about is the experience of killing people and shooting them, then I only need one experience to take to State House wisdom. When King Solomon became king, he asked God for wisdom, not experience," said Sifuna.

 The senator said Kenya deserves leadership that prioritises justice, accountability and the welfare of citizens instead of relying on force and intimidation.

Sifuna also dismissed President Ruto's newly launched Vision 2060 development blueprint, arguing that the government had failed to implement the promises it made at the beginning of its term and therefore lacked the credibility to make long-term commitments.

"You have failed to implement your four-year development plan and now you want to tell us about a 30-year vision. I have great respect for Professor Anyang' Nyong'o and those who worked on Vision 2060, but you cannot entrust chicks to a hawk because the work of a hawk is to eat chicks," he said.

 He accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of abandoning the economic promises it made to Kenyans during the 2022 election campaigns and instead introducing new policies that have increased the cost of living.

The Nairobi Senator also criticised the government's Affordable Housing Programme, saying it had failed to address the real challenges facing low-income families.

According to Sifuna, the programme was initially intended to eliminate informal settlements but had instead become a project benefiting politically connected contractors.

 "I told Ruto that a chicken cannot climb to the 12th floor, but he refused to understand. I will debate him on cattle keeping but not on chicken. A Luhya person does not rear chicken in flats; we live with them. How do you construct a 12-storey housing project in Funyula where there are no slums?" he posed.

 He maintained that the problem facing many Kenyans was not the lack of houses but the absence of jobs and income.

 "The Affordable Housing Programme is enriching a few contractors. Slums are not a housing problem; they are an income problem. Our people have no jobs, businesses are struggling and the economy is doing badly," he said.

Sifuna also faulted the implementation of the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the new university funding model, accusing the government of introducing policies without proper planning before making repeated changes after public outcry.

"The success of SHA should not be measured by the number of people who have registered. Success should mean that Kenyans no longer organise harambees to raise money for treatment. The government has failed and is now resorting to inviting people to State House and giving handouts. If that is the new approach, then every Kenyan deserves an equal share," he said.

 The rally also saw leaders allied to the Linda Mwananchi movement accuse the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties of frustrating efforts to register the movement as a fully-fledged political party.

Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi alleged that the government was using the Registrar's office to delay the registration process because it feared the growing popularity of the movement.

The senator warned that supporters of the movement would stage weekly demonstrations outside the Registrar's offices until the party is officially registered.

"We want to tell the Registrar of Political Parties that beginning Monday we shall be camping outside those offices until Linda Mwananchi is registered as a political party. We shall not give up," he said.

Osotsi also declared that the movement had parted ways with ODM and was charting its own political path ahead of the 2027 elections.

Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi and blogger Pauline Njoroge during a Linda Mwananchi rally in Busia.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale equally criticised the government's Vision 2060 blueprint, the implementation of SHA and the university funding model, saying the administration had abandoned its original development agenda.

"We travelled across the country signing economic charters prepared by experts. Instead of implementing what was promised, the government is now talking about Vision 2060. It has gambled with SHA, the university funding model and other key reforms. President Ruto has failed and should now pave the way for a younger generation of leadership under Edwin Sifuna," said Khalwale.

The outspoken senator urged residents of Western Kenya to unite behind Sifuna's presidential bid, saying the region had for years failed to consolidate its political strength.

"We no longer want endless promises. We want our people to rally behind Sifuna because he has demonstrated courage and consistency in defending the interests of Kenyans," he said.

Bumula MP Jack Wamboka also called on the Luhya community to reject what he termed "political brokerage" by senior regional leaders whom he accused of repeatedly abandoning presidential ambitions to support other candidates.

"Mudavadi and Wetang'ula have always declared interest in the presidency only to withdraw later and support other candidates for their own interests. Sifuna has shown us a different path, and we want our region to stand firmly behind him," said Wamboka.

Friday's rallies attracted large crowds in Busia County, underscoring the growing political momentum of the Linda Mwananchi movement as it seeks to establish itself ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The tour continues in Kakamega County, where the movement's leaders are expected to hold a series of rallies aimed at consolidating support across the Western region.