NAIROBI, Kenya—Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has laughed off President William Ruto’s claims that former President Uhuru Kenyatta is bankrolling opposition efforts against his administration, turning the allegation into another point of political confrontation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Sifuna, who leads the Linda Mwananchi movement, took aim at Ruto after sharing a snippet from an interview in which the President was pressed to provide evidence that Uhuru was financially supporting opposition politicians.
In a sarcastic response, Sifuna questioned why the President appeared to rely on a newspaper report rather than provide direct evidence to support the claim.
“Yule jamaa amebeba akili yote ya Kenya aliulizwa swali mboga sana, atoe evidence Uhuru ndio sponsor ya upinzani akasema hata yeye alisoma kwa gazeti…na anadai sisi ndio mafala,” Sifuna said.
The exchange adds another layer to the increasingly bitter political contest between Ruto and opposition figures seeking to build a coalition capable of challenging the President in next year’s election.
Ruto and his allies have repeatedly linked Uhuru to efforts to mobilise opposition forces against the Kenya Kwanza administration. Sifuna and former Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i have been among those mentioned in the political debate surrounding the alleged alliance.
During the interview, however, Ruto did not provide direct evidence that Uhuru was financing the opposition. Instead, he referred the journalist to an earlier report published by the newspaper suggesting that the former President had convened a broad political alliance to challenge Ruto.
“You work for the Nation, right? Can you check the Sunday Nation headline of August 2. What was the headline? It says ‘Uhuru super coalition against Ruto’. You answered yourselves. Despite everything he did I won the elections,” Ruto said.
Uhuru has yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
Opposition race
The exchange comes at a time when opposition politics is undergoing a major realignment, with several senior political figures positioning themselves for the 2027 presidential contest.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, former Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and former government Minister Martha Karua are among the prominent figures who have expressed interest in the race or remained active in efforts to shape the opposition’s political direction.
Sifuna has also increasingly positioned his Linda Mwananchi movement as part of the emerging opposition conversation, particularly among younger voters seeking an alternative to the established political order.
The challenge for the opposition, however, remains bigger than assembling prominent names.
With several potential presidential contenders already circling the 2027 contest, the opposition will have to negotiate alliances, agree on a common candidate and manage competing political interests if it hopes to mount a unified challenge against Ruto.
Sifuna’s allies believe he can emerge as a formidable candidate, but his path to the presidency will depend heavily on whether Linda Mwananchi can translate its growing political visibility into a broader national coalition.
For now, the public exchange over Uhuru’s alleged role in opposition politics illustrates one of the defining battles of the 2027 campaign: not only who will challenge Ruto, but who will control the political coalition capable of doing so.
