Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has delivered one of his clearest political statements yet on his future ambitions, the direction of the Linda Mwananchi movement, and his vision for Kenya, while mounting a sustained critique of President William Ruto’s administration during an extensive interview on Citizen TV’s Citizen Explainer.
The interview, which touched on everything from the 2027 General Election and opposition unity to healthcare, taxation, campaign financing and governance, painted the picture of a politician positioning himself as a national figure while stopping short of formally declaring a presidential bid.
Perhaps the most closely watched moment came when Sifuna was asked whether he was considering running for the presidency.
Rather than making a direct declaration, Sifuna suggested that the possibility was firmly on the table.
“As Linda Mwananchi, we are very strongly considering the prospect of running a presidential candidate. That is clear; it is coming from the people themselves. If you are the one who runs around saying Ruto must go, you must be available to replace him. We are hoping that once we complete the tour of the country, we should be able to give you a straight answer,” he said.
His response appeared carefully calibrated. While he avoided presenting himself as the confirmed flag bearer, he acknowledged growing calls within the movement for a presidential candidature. By framing the decision as one emerging from public demand rather than personal ambition, Sifuna sought to project an image of collective leadership.
When interviewer Yvonne Okwara pressed him further, asking whether he personally wanted to become president, Sifuna again resisted giving a definitive yes or no.
“I don’t make unilateral decisions. That decision has to be made together with the people so that it is a decision that is owned by everyone and not just Sifuna. However, I am not one to run away from responsibility. If the people feel that this is the best way for us to proceed, we will not say no.”
The statement leaves the door wide open while signalling that any eventual bid would be presented as a movement-driven decision rather than an individual project. Politically, it also allows him room to negotiate alliances ahead of 2027 without prematurely locking himself into a presidential race.
Sifuna also revealed growing tensions between himself and sections of the ODM leadership following his increasing involvement with Linda Mwananchi.
“It is clear that those in the ODM leadership are done with us. After we finished our rally in Kitale, I just saw us being removed from the ODM WhatsApp group. They even want to move me to the Fisheries Committee, which they think is a punishment but I actually need to learn about that too.”
The remarks suggest an increasingly strained relationship with the party leadership, although Sifuna maintained a measured tone by joking that serving in the Fisheries Committee would not necessarily amount to punishment.
On the controversial impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Sifuna firmly dismissed allegations that senators were bribed.
“I did not need any inducement when it came to Gachagua’s impeachment because I had publicly taken positions against some of his conduct and pronouncements, including his interference in the running and management of Nairobi City County.”
He maintained that his vote was based solely on principle and consistency with positions he had already expressed publicly before the impeachment process began.
The senator then shifted his attention to President Ruto’s flagship programmes, arguing that the government had repeatedly refused to acknowledge shortcomings until public pressure became overwhelming.
“President Ruto argues with us whenever we point out that things are not working. When it comes to crunch time, just as he has admitted that the university funding model is not working, he will also come to admit that SHA and this housing thing are not working.”
His criticism centred on what he described as a pattern of delayed admissions by government after defending controversial policies.
On the political landscape, Sifuna argued that the President’s declining approval ratings create a significant opportunity for the opposition.
“When you have an incumbent who is running below 30 percent in terms of his approval and the support that he has, it tells you that he is in a lot of trouble. If you put together all the support of the opposition, it is possible to have a new government in place in 12 months.”
He insisted that Linda Mwananchi’s objective was to help present “a formidable candidate against Ruto,” reinforcing the movement’s ambition to become a serious national political force.
Sifuna also dismissed speculation that former President Uhuru Kenyatta was secretly financing Linda Mwananchi.
“No, he is not.” He later elaborated that although he occasionally communicates with Uhuru, their interactions are ordinary and should not be interpreted as evidence of political sponsorship.
Similarly, Sifuna laughed off speculation that he was preparing to announce a presidential bid on television.
“If I was going to run for President, do you really think I would announce it at night on a show like this? That is something that you do in broad daylight and say, ‘Now I’m ready.'”
The remark demonstrated both political caution and awareness of the significance attached to any formal presidential declaration.
Turning to youth unemployment, Sifuna criticised what he described as a tendency to celebrate any form of employment regardless of whether it matches people’s qualifications.
“You cannot spend six or seven years studying medicine and then you are given kazi ya mjengo and then you are told kazi ni kazi. What we are are looking for is impactful employment.”
Drawing from his own experience, he recounted how formal employment transformed his life before he later ventured into private legal practice, arguing that quality jobs matter more than employment statistics alone.
On governance, Sifuna outlined what he described as Linda Mwananchi’s immediate priorities if elected.
“We are software engineers. The first thing we said we would do is cut public expenditure and wastage in government. We want to reduce the burden on the ordinary mwananchi, especially when it comes to taxation. You will not find anyone tweeting and being arrested. You will not see us teargassing churches, and we want to stop the killing of our young people.”
The comments combined economic proposals with promises on civil liberties and human rights, presenting Linda Mwananchi as a reform-oriented movement.
He further argued that Kenyan politics should move beyond ethnic calculations.
“I think it is possible for people to vote and support a political leader irrespective of whether they come from the same region. That mentality has been overtaken by time.”
In the same spirit, Sifuna rejected attempts to brand him as a regional political leader.
“I am not looking to be the Luhya kingpin. We are looking to be a force that is consequential on a national scale.”
His remarks appeared designed to position himself as a national politician rather than one confined to ethnic politics.
On healthcare, Sifuna criticised the government’s assessment of the Social Health Authority (SHA).
“For President Ruto the success of SHA is how many people have registered. We are telling him that this is not a national registration bureau. The success of a healthcare scheme should be the number of people accessing services.”
The criticism focused on outcomes rather than enrolment figures, arguing that healthcare reforms should ultimately be judged by patient access and quality of service.
Sifuna also questioned rising expenditure at State House, asking whether repeated renovation projects represented prudent use of public resources.
“If you look at the ballooning budget for State House, where is that money going? If you have renovations every few weeks, why is that expenditure necessary?”
According to him, reducing government waste would create fiscal space to ease the tax burden on ordinary Kenyans.
He revealed that Linda Mwananchi was developing a comprehensive policy blueprint with experts from multiple sectors, promising that it would offer practical solutions rather than campaign rhetoric.
Campaign financing emerged as another central theme.
“There was a prominent person who said forget these ten shillings, call me and I’ll give you one billion. I would rather be indebted to ten million Kenyans who each sent me ten shillings than to two people who each gave me five million.”
Sifuna argued that small public donations strengthen democratic accountability because leaders remain answerable to citizens rather than wealthy financiers.
He disclosed that the movement had already raised approximately KSh 6.5 million through its Paybill and pledged full transparency by accounting for every contribution received.
He also voiced support for legal limits on campaign spending, arguing that Kenyan elections had become excessively expensive and increasingly inaccessible to ordinary leaders without wealthy sponsors.
On political alliances, Sifuna indicated that Linda Mwananchi was willing to work with anyone committed to removing President Ruto from office, including former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
“We will work with everyone who believes that Ruto does not deserve an extra day in office.”
Although he reaffirmed that he had voted to impeach Gachagua over what he termed specific offences, Sifuna argued that political realities required broad opposition cooperation.
Responding to previous allegations by the Council of Governors that he had attempted to extort county governments, Sifuna said the accusations had never been substantiated.
“The allegations were made publicly but the apology was made privately. They came to the Senate and apologised. It is one thing to make allegations and another to prove them.”
He maintained that repeated attempts to damage his reputation had ultimately failed.
Throughout the interview, Sifuna repeatedly returned to one central message: that Kenya requires a different style of leadership anchored on lower taxation, accountable government, democratic freedoms, reduced corruption and stronger public services.
While he stopped short of officially declaring a presidential bid, his comments strongly suggest that he is positioning himself and Linda Mwananchi as a significant player in Kenya’s evolving opposition politics ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The interview also reflected a broader strategy of presenting policy proposals alongside political criticism, an approach likely intended to convince voters that the movement seeks not only to oppose the current administration but also to offer an alternative governing vision.