Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna appears to be borrowing from former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's trademark consultative political style, opting to seek Kenyans' views before deciding on his 2027 presidential bid.
The firebrand senator said on Tuesday he would first tour all counties before deciding whether to challenge President William Ruto in next year's general election.
Sifuna said he has so far visited 14 of the 47 counties under his Linda Mwananchi movement and intends to complete the nationwide tour before announcing his next political move.
"We have had rallies in only 14 counties. We have not gone to 33 counties and we must visit them as well. You need to be sure if the excitement is just in one corner of the country or it is everywhere," he said during an interview with a number of Western Kenya FM radio stations.
"We want to push our Linda Mwananchi movement until it becomes consequential such that when we say we will have a presidential candidate and a running mate, we indeed stand a chance of winning the election."
The consultations, he noted, are aimed at listening to citizens, gauging the country's political mood and allowing Kenyans to shape the movement's direction.
"You know the constitution says you must get 25 per cent of the votes in half the counties," he said.
"I want to go to Turkana, Mandera, Garissa, Tana River. When I am done with all the counties, I will answer you when you ask if I will contest for the presidency."
The approach mirrors Raila's long-established style of politics.
Throughout his political career, the former Prime Minister rarely made major announcements without first embarking on extensive consultations with supporters, grassroots leaders, coalition partners and other stakeholders across the country.
His decisions were often preceded by weeks or months of nationwide engagements, helping portray them as products of public participation and broad political consensus.
Ahead of his presidential bids in 2013, 2017 and 2022, Raila traversed the country holding consultative rallies and meetings to consolidate support and build national coalitions.
Before ODM entered into the broad-based arrangement, Raila led a series of countrywide consultations with party members and leaders, culminating in the National Executive Committee meeting at KICC, where the party endorsed the move.
The push for Sifuna's candidature has gathered momentum through the Linda Mwananchi movement, youth groups and grassroots coalitions, with supporters portraying him as a youthful and outspoken alternative capable of mounting a formidable challenge against President William Ruto.
The campaign has also received backing from several opposition leaders.
Earlier this month, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi announced that Luhya leaders aligned to the Linda Mwananchi movement had resolved to rally behind Sifuna.
Osotsi said the decision was reached during a strategy meeting at the home of Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, where leaders discussed their political roadmap.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale and his predecessor Cleophas Malala have also publicly backed a possible Sifuna presidential bid.
Despite the growing endorsements, Sifuna has consistently maintained that launching a presidential campaign requires more than public enthusiasm.
Speaking during the show, Sifuna also unveiled a paybill number for the Linda Mwananchi movement, appealing to Kenyans to contribute Sh10 each to help finance the movement's activities and logistics.
Sifuna dismissed claims the movement is bankrolled by wealthy sponsors, saying critics should be consistent in their accusations.
He explained that since Linda Mwananchi is yet to be registered as a political party, the fundraising account is registered under his official name.
"The critics should choose one battle. If I'm someone's project, then I have money; why do they then say that I do not have money?" Sifuna said during the interview.
"They should choose one, either I have or do not have money. Either I have a sponsor or do not have one."
"I want to explain to Kenyans about our paybill. We have not registered Linda Mwananchi as a party, so when we are looking for a paybill account, we use our official names. You will see my name on the paybill. The paybill number is 3033049. You will see the name E Sifuna."
According to the senator, the funds are used to facilitate the movement's operations, including paying service providers and supporting logistical needs during rallies.
"We use the money to pay DJ Spider and also pay for other logistics. For example, we used the money to support our brother who passed on in Kisii during our rally. The money came from Linda Mwananchi," he said.
Sifuna insisted the movement is not raising funds for personal gain but to sustain its activities across the country.
"We are not looking to enrich ourselves. We do not need too much money. What we need is to cover the logistics of attending some of these meetings," he said.
He disclosed that the movement's most expensive rally so far was held in Kisumu, costing about Sh2.6 million, with a significant portion of the expenditure going towards security.
"Our most expensive rally was Kisumu, which was about Sh2.6 million; that was mainly used for security because we received threats," Sifuna said.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Ahead of his presidential bids in 2013, 2017 and 2022, Raila traversed the country holding consultative rallies and meetings to consolidate support and build national coalitions.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna /HANDOUT
