Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has been endorsed as the presidential candidate of the Linda Mwananchi movement ahead of the 2027 General Election, with the group now preparing to unveil the party he will use to contest the presidency.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Linda Mwananchi said its leadership had agreed to move forward as a united political force, citing what it described as Kenyans’ demand for better governance.
“H.E Edwin Watenya Sifuna is our leader and Presidential Candidate,” the movement said.
The group said Sifuna would lead the unveiling of the party on whose ticket he will run for the presidency in early October.
The endorsement comes after weeks of uncertainty over the political vehicle Sifuna would use in his presidential bid, with his allies considering different party options.
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya said on September 24, 2026, that Sifuna would use the United Democratic Party (UDP), appearing to settle speculation over the party arrangement ahead of the planned launch.
The UDP option emerged after a proposed attempt to rebrand the party as the Ukombozi People’s Party failed.
The development provides Sifuna’s camp with a clearer party vehicle ahead of the 2027 election, although questions surrounding the Linda Mwananchi identity remain subject to a legal dispute.
The movement has been involved in a dispute over the use of the Linda name after the Registrar of Political Parties rejected an application by Sifuna’s allies to reserve the name “Linda Mwananchi Movement.”
The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal has concluded hearings in a case challenging the Registrar’s decision.
The dispute involves Sifuna’s faction and another group seeking registration under the Liberty National Democratic Alliance, commonly known as LINDA.
The Tribunal is scheduled to deliver its decision on September 30, 2026.
The legal dispute is separate from the latest political decision by Linda Mwananchi to endorse Sifuna as its presidential candidate.
Sifuna’s endorsement also comes amid reported disagreements within the movement over its political direction and the party through which he should pursue his presidential ambitions.
One of the political figures linked to the movement is Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who has established The Mwananchi Party while separately building his political base ahead of a possible bid for the Nairobi governorship.
Babu has, however, publicly backed Sifuna’s presidential ambitions and said he intends to concentrate on his Nairobi gubernatorial campaign.
The movement has also faced competing proposals over its political vehicle. Before the UDP option emerged, Sifuna’s allies had explored Ukombozi and other possible party arrangements.
The group also said it would seek cooperation with other political formations as it prepares for the 2027 election.
“We will seek to build a coalition with like-minded parties that share our commitment to the people of Kenya,” the statement said.
Coalition-building is expected to form part of the next phase of Sifuna’s political project, with his allies seeking partnerships with other parties and political groups ahead of the August 2027 election.
The planned October party unveiling will mark a transition from the mobilisation associated with Linda Mwananchi to a formal political structure through which Sifuna can seek the presidency and participate in the 2027 electoral process.