Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has indicated that he may consider running for president in 2027, framing the potential bid as a response to public demand rather than personal ambition.

In a recent radio interview, Sifuna, who serves as the Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), urged young Kenyans to register and vote in the upcoming elections, emphasising that low voter turnout has long hindered opposition efforts.

His comments come amid ongoing internal disputes within ODM, where efforts to remove him from his post have been blocked by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal.

Sifuna also unveiled the “Mimi Ndio Sifuna” initiative, which he described as a collective movement rather than a personality-driven campaign.

He stressed that uniting the opposition will be crucial to challenging President William Ruto in 2027.

He outlined his vision for a government focused on upholding freedom and the rule of law, rather than prioritising infrastructure projects. 

“Please don’t ask me how many kilometres of road I am going to do,” Sifuna said.

Sifuna also accused state agencies of interfering with opposition activities, alleging that a local airline leaked his team’s travel plans to the Interior Ministry, which led to disruptions at a rally in Kakamega.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has denied these claims, suggesting Sifuna may have orchestrated the incidents himself. In response, Sifuna called for stronger investigative powers for the Independent Policing Oversight Authority.

Despite these challenges, Sifuna expressed confidence that intimidation would not deter the movement. He warned that it would take more than force to silence the opposition’s voice.

The senator also criticised Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s agreement to transfer certain county functions to the national government, describing the arrangement as inconsistent with Kenya’s constitutional principles of devolution.

Kenyan parliament has rejected a proposal by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to increase funding for the 2027 General Election from Sh43 billion to Sh63 billion.

The commission presented its budget policy statement on Tuesday, stating that the additional funds were required to meet key operational costs. It projected Sh12.4 billion for staff wages and Sh6.9 billion for voter registration. 

A further Sh6.2 billion was allocated for replacing Kenya Integrated Election Management System (Kiems) kits, the electronic devices used to verify voters. Commission officials said that most of the 45,352 kits currently in use are obsolete and must be replaced. 

Only 14,000 devices acquired in 2022 remain usable, though each would require upgrades costing Sh175,000. Members of Parliament rejected the request, maintaining that the Treasury’s allocation of Sh43 billion is adequate. 

They instructed the commission to provide expert evidence demonstrating that the existing kits cannot be reused before approving any new purchases. The commission also projects an increase in polling stations to 55,393 in 2027, up from 46,229 in 2022. 

Despite this expansion, the limit of 700 voters per station is expected to remain in place to reduce congestion and improve efficiency on polling day.

The commission maintains that technological upgrades and expanded access are necessary to ensure credible polls, while legislators are seeking to contain public spending amid fiscal constraints.

Embattled ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has dismissed claims that he has been receiving political support from former president Uhuru Kenyatta to mobilise backing for the Linda Mwananchi tours conducted by his faction.

Speaking during an interview on NTV on Tuesday morning, the Nairobi senator said he has not been in any political conversations with the former head of state, describing the online allegations as unfounded.

The ODM Secretary General noted that public expectations that he would automatically be part of the Azimio leadership structure were misplaced, maintaining that his current focus is only on activities within ODM and the Linda Mwananchi movement.

”No, I have not had a conversation with him (Uhuru Kenyatta). People expected that because Sifuna is the SG of ODM, he is automatically a member of the council of Azimio. So I do not have information on what is happening in Azimio. You can only ask me questions about what is happening in ODM and Linda Mwananchi,” Sifuna said.

The outspoken senator also addressed rumours suggesting that the Linda Mwananchi tours were being financed by the former president’s political network, saying the movement has largely relied on grassroots goodwill and public contributions.

”We will give you a breakdown of our expenses in our past campaigns, and before that, we can tell you that we have been largely relying on goodwill and support from the common mwananchi, which we are very happy about,” he added.

On his political ambitions, Sifuna said the primary objective of the Linda Mwananchi caucus is to build a strong opposition force capable of challenging the administration of President William Ruto in future elections.

He said the opposition faction will eventually front a presidential candidate, maintaining that the choice will be made through extensive consultations and informed by empirical political analysis within the coalition.

”The issue of settling on the leader and who will lead us against Ruto must be a structured process. We will look at how many votes we can command from our followers. We have a duty of a lifetime to rescue our country, and this should therefore not be about Sifuna,” he said.

Sifuna further argued that the movement should cultivate several strong presidential contenders rather than concentrate power around a single figure, suggesting that at least ten viable candidates should emerge from the faction.

”I want us to grow this movement to a point that there are like 10 viable candidates for the presidency so that if they somehow go for one, nine others can be able to vie for the presidency,” he said.

He added that defeating the current administration would require a significant electoral margin, stating that the faction should aim to beat President Ruto by at least five million votes to demonstrate public dissatisfaction with the government.

”We must beat William Ruto by at least 5 million votes to make it clear that we are tired of his administration. We must be one force against William Ruto,” he said.

Regarding possible cooperation with the United Opposition formations, Sifuna dismissed the matter as not a major agenda item, saying the faction should operate with a strategic approach rather than align immediately with other groups.