A disagreement over which political party should take Linda Mwananchi into the 2027 elections has spilled into the open, with Saboti MP Caleb Amisi claiming he was pushed out of the movement's WhatsApp groups during the dispute.
Amisi made the claim after Embakasi East MP Babu Owino offered details of the behind-the-scenes discussions among Linda Mwananchi leaders on how the movement would participate in the next elections.
Reacting to Owino's account, Amisi said the explanation had confirmed his earlier position on the role of his Political Movement party in the movement.
“I knew one day the truth shall come out. I am now vindicated,” Amisi said on Tuesday while responding to Owino's remarks.
Amisi thanked Owino for confirming that Political Movement was the party initially selected to propel Linda Mwananchi.
“Thank you @HEBabuOwino for confirming that PM party was the party formed to propel Linda Mwananchi,” Amisi said.
He alleged that the situation changed after other individuals joined the movement, claiming they interfered with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna's position and subsequently removed him from the Linda Mwananchi WhatsApp groups.
The Saboti MP also claimed that his party was later described as a "mole" and "wheelbarrow" party in what he said was an attempt to discourage support for it.
Despite the disagreements, Amisi said he was still committed to the cause he associated with the movement.
“God of Caleb is overworking! No weapon formed against our generational call for duty shall prosper! Our fourth liberation must be won no matter what!” he said.
Amisi's response came after Owino shared a video giving his version of how Linda Mwananchi leaders arrived at the point of considering a political party for the 2027 elections.
Owino said plans for him to have a political party and seek the governorship in 2027 had been made before Linda Mwananchi was formed.
“And I knew that in 2027 I would have a political party and vie as a governor. That is long before Linda Mwananchi came into being,” Owino said.
He explained that once Linda Mwananchi had been formed, its leaders held a retreat where they created a four-member committee to search for a political party that could become the movement's electoral vehicle.
According to Owino, the committee comprised four leaders who already had political parties, including Amisi and himself. Their assignment was to identify a single party that could accommodate or amalgamate their respective parties.
Owino said two of the parties under consideration were eliminated because they had not been fully registered. Amisi's party remained in contention as he was expected to secure its registration certificate.
He said Amisi later walked away from Linda Mwananchi, leaving his party as the option that had initially been expected to carry the movement politically.
Owino said the situation later changed when additional political principals joined Linda Mwananchi, with one of them bringing another political party into the discussions.
The debate then moved to whether the newly introduced party or Owino's party would become the movement's political vehicle.
Owino said he later met Sifuna at his office to discuss the matter and consider the options available to Linda Mwananchi.
He said Sifuna told him there was no problem with the choices before them and that a coalition could be explored.