Sifuna throws down one-term challenge to Ruto as Linda Mwananchi storms Nairobi

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has stepped up his bid to emerge as a major opposition force ahead of the 2027 General Election, declaring that President William Ruto will become Kenya’s first one-term president.

Sifuna made the bold declaration today, Sunday, September 13, 2026 as the Linda Mwananchi movement staged a major political mobilisation across Nairobi, culminating in a rally at Jacaranda Grounds attended by thousands of supporters.

The Senator used the rally to hit back at Ruto over remarks the President made during his recent tour of Bomet County, where he referred to his political opponents as “waganga” while accusing them of relying on insults and confrontation rather than policies and development plans.

Sifuna said Ruto had returned to the political language he previously used against the late opposition leader Raila Odinga.

“Lakini nataka kumhakikishia… William Ruto, you are going to be the first one-term president of the Republic of Kenya,” Sifuna told the cheering crowd.

He then turned to the gathering and asked whether Jacaranda had any votes for Ruto, prompting supporters to chant “One term! One term! One term!”

Ruto had told his critics that they had allegedly been advised by their “sponsor” and “waganga” that they did not need policies, plans or an agenda, but only insults and confrontation to change the country.

Sifuna seized on the remarks to frame the 2027 contest as a battle between the Government and an emerging opposition coalition.

“Saa hii anatuita waganga, kidogo atasema sisi ni watu wa vitendawili, kidogo kidogo atasema sisi ni watu wa kung’oa reli,” he said.

The Nairobi mobilisation marked one of the most visible public demonstrations of Sifuna’s political strength since the death of Raila and comes as opposition leaders position themselves for the contest to succeed the former opposition chief as the country’s dominant anti-government political force.

The Linda Mwananchi team began the day with a church service at All Saints Cathedral before moving through several parts of Nairobi in a convoy that passed Haile Selassie Avenue, Marikiti Market, Gikomba, Burma Market, Stage 17, B Centre, Manyanja Road and Jogoo Road before arriving at Jacaranda Grounds.

Large crowds joined the procession, with supporters dancing and chanting as the convoy moved through the city.

At Marikiti Market, Sifuna called on Nairobi residents to unite behind the campaign to remove Ruto from power in the 2027 elections.

“Ndio sisi tuko tayari kumtoa Ruto kwa mamlaka. Watu wa Nairobi, tushikane mikono tumrudishe Ruto nyumbani,” he said.

The mobilisation came despite an earlier warning by Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud against large political gatherings in restricted areas.

Mohamud said police had intelligence suggesting rival political groups could confront each other, but assured that officers would protect peaceful gatherings.

“No political objective is worth the blood of a Kenyan,” he said, referring to concerns following violence at a political gathering in Homa Bay on August 16 in which four people were killed.

At Jacaranda, Sifuna praised youths who he said had stood up against attempts to disrupt the rally and commended police officers for providing security.

He also promised improved welfare for police officers, including access to affordable housing, if Linda Mwananchi takes power.

The rally also sought to project unity among leaders harbouring presidential ambitions.

Siaya Governor James Orengo, who has recently expressed interest in the movement’s presidential ticket, pledged to engage Sifuna in negotiations to produce a single opposition candidate.

“Sifuna is my son. I want to announce that Sifuna and I will sit together at the negotiation table to ensure that we liberate Kenya,” Orengo said.

Sifuna said the movement would also engage other opposition leaders, including former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, in the search for a single candidate.

“I will speak with Riggy G, Kalonzo, and Orengo so that we can produce a single candidate,” he said.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino said he had stepped aside from the presidential race to support Sifuna while defending Orengo’s right to pursue his ambitions.

Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi also publicly backed Sifuna, with supporters repeatedly chanting his name as a potential presidential candidate.

Sifuna pledged to reverse what he described as unpopular decisions by the Ruto administration if elected.

He also challenged the government’s affordable housing programme, arguing that Nairobi’s slum crisis could not be solved by constructing houses without addressing residents’ incomes.

Meanwhile, Babu used the Nairobi tour to intensify his campaign for the Nairobi governorship, attacking incumbent Governor Johnson Sakaja over garbage collection and flood preparedness.

The growing mobilisation places Sifuna at the centre of an increasingly competitive opposition field, even as rival camps negotiate alliances, presidential tickets and a strategy to prevent the opposition vote from splitting in 2027.