Ruto to blame? Sifuna, allies link president's camp to Linda Mwananchi woes

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna addresses students after he was denied entry at JKUAT Karen campus in Nairobi on September 17, 2026.  [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

The Linda Mwananchi group led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has linked President William Ruto to their frustrations, ranging from being stopped from addressing students on Thursday to blocking registration of their new political outfit and causing divisions among the leaders.

Sifuna who was denied entry at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Karen campus, directly linked Ruto to his woes which included punishing people who associate with his political ideals.

“One of the biggest problems we have is that there's actual fear of repercussions for people seen to be hanging out with the opposition or just chilling with the opposition. People have lost jobs just because they took a photo with me, you have seen my allies, even in the Senate, being kicked out from committee leaderships, have been kicked out from party leadership just because of hanging out with Sifuna and I'm not a bad person,” he said.

He added: “This is why, when some of us talk about returning this country to the rails of the values in our Constitution, one of which is freedom. By and large, people want to be free.”

The senator had visited the institution to address students about the law policy and governance forum which had been organised by the JKUAT’s students association but his convoy was blocked at the gate after the management claimed they were not aware of his visit.

“The most interesting thing is that the administration themselves also wrote to me to invite me to JKUAT as they celebrate their 20 years. I don’t know whether they will allow us or not,” added Sifuna.

In a letter seen by The Standard and stamped by the school management, the student body had invited Sifuna as the keynote Speaker of the forum.

The move to block the Nairobi Senator was interpreted as one of the government's strategies of frustrating Sifuna by blocking a platform that would have allowed him to court youth to join his movement which has continued to receive support across the country.

Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi maintained that Ruto was also directly involved in schemes to block the registration of Linda Mwananchi movement with the Registrar of Political Parties.

Osotsi said the group would give the Registrar until Monday, August 10, 2026, to resolve the matter, warning that supporters would then begin holding daily meetings outside the ORPP offices.

“Ruto ametuma wakora kule kwa ofisi ya msajili wa vyama ati wanajaribu kunyakua hii jina yetu. Mimi nataka kuambia William Ruto, Article 38 inaruhusu mkenya yeyote kutengeneza chama. Na tunaambia huyu registrar kama hutapatiana hiyo jina jumatatu, tutaandaa mikutano ya kila siku kwa hiyo ofisi ya Office of Registrar of Political Parties,” Osotsi said.

A section of leaders within the Linda Mwananchi movement have already registered political parties that they want Sifuna join and use in his Presidential bid a move that could threaten the unity and cohesiveness of the party with Ruto's teams being accused of actively engineering discontent through online campaigns to create confusion and derail the opposition's momentum.

Some of the leaders who have registered the party within the Linda Mwananchi include Kakamega Senator Bony Khalwale who has acquired United Patriotic Movement (UPM), and former Lugari MP the late Cyrus Jirongo’s United Democratic Party has been rebranded to Ukombozi Peoples Party by Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya. Saboti MP Caleb Amisi also formed People's Renaissance Movement.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has reportedly acquired the Muungano Party, which was initially led by former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana with Siaya Governor James Orengo as the party’s patron.

According to Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka, Linda Mwananchi, being a young faction, was susceptible to infiltration because of personal political ambitions.

"The ups and downs, the noise you see, some of our members are going to be infiltrated, people will be given money, but there are fewer of us who are not going to compromise," he said.

“If I were William Ruto, I would be doing exactly what he’s doing: create discontent, make sure people begin to see that these are young people who cannot handle power,” Onyonka said.

He explained that one of the clearest signs of the tension was the decision by several principals associated with the grouping to register their own political parties.

“Because Kenyan politics is very distrustful, all the principals had gone and registered their political parties,” he said,

On his part, Saboti MP directly claimed Ruto had deployed some old guard to hijack the movement and steer it on his political alliance.

“Old politicians have been sent by the State to take over the movement’s agenda and steer it towards Ruto,” he said.

He said that the movement was formed to propel a young person into the presidency but had veered off after the old guard took over and allegedly started propelling the movement back to the old ethnic regrouping.

“You need not to go to an old party who leaders are dead, you need to join the PRM which carries the aspirations of the original Linda Mwananchi which carries the vision and the dream of Kenya Moja,” he said.