NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 27 — The Linda Mwananchi movement on Sunday intensified its campaign to unseat President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election, taking its Western Kenya mobilisation drive into Bungoma County as opposition leaders sought to consolidate support in one of Kenya Kwanza’s key political battlegrounds.
Led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and other opposition figures, the caravan held rallies in Kimilili and Chwele before proceeding to Bungoma town, where leaders framed the tour as part of a broader effort to build a formidable national movement ahead of the 2027 polls.
The leaders accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of failing to create jobs, lower the cost of living and fulfil campaign promises, while urging young people not to allow themselves to be used for political violence.
Babu Owino claimed unemployed youth were being recruited as “goons” instead of being offered meaningful employment.
“You were promised jobs, but the only job the government gives our youth is to be hired as thugs,” Owino told supporters, urging young people to reject violence and instead turn out to vote in 2027.
He also highlighted the struggles facing boda boda riders and unemployed youth, saying many remained trapped in debt while grappling with rising living costs.
Sifuna, meanwhile, portrayed the Linda Mwananchi movement as a people-funded political project, arguing it was breaking away from traditional politics financed by wealthy individuals.
“This money is from ordinary citizens. We want to be indebted to Kenyans, not to a few rich people,” he said, adding that a future administration would prioritise reducing fuel prices, improving agriculture and strengthening public services.
The opposition also used the Bungoma stop to reinforce its appeal for Western Kenya to unite behind a common political agenda, saying the region should play a decisive role in shaping Kenya’s next government.
The Bungoma mobilisation followed a major opposition rally in neighbouring Trans Nzoia County a day earlier, where the leaders declared they had assembled the political force capable of denying President Ruto a second term.
The Western Kenya tour comes amid an intensifying political contest for the region, with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi simultaneously urging the Luhya community to back President Ruto’s re-election and dismissing the opposition as a “newspaper fire” that would quickly burn out.
With both Kenya Kwanza and the opposition now aggressively courting Western Kenya, the region is emerging as a key battleground likely to shape the outcome of the 2027 General Election.
