Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has rejected an offer by Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli to help raise KSh1 billion for his presidential campaign.
Speaking during a local radio interview on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Sifuna said his political activities would be financed by ordinary Kenyans rather than wealthy political financiers.
“Wanasema eti hatuna pesa. Watu wa Ol Kalou wameonyesha ya kwamba hiyo pesa yenu haiwezi wasaidia. Pesa is not the answer,” Sifuna said.
“Sisi tutaembea vile huwa tunatembea kawaida, bora mafuta ya gari iko. Tuko na Paybill number hapo kwa website yetu yenye Wakenya wanaweka.”
The senator directly addressed Atwoli, making it clear that he did not want the money.
“Sai anasema yeye ndiye ako na one billion ati anaweza pea Sifuna. Mimi sitaki pesa yako, mzee. I do not need that money. Let Kenyans continue giving me money,” he said.
“I would rather be indebted to Kenyans because they gave me KSh10 than Atwoli.”
Sifuna also questioned the source of the proposed KSh1 billion and called for Kenyan politics to be freed from what he described as “dirty money.”
“Naomba Wakenya, we need to free our politics from this dirty money. Kwanza, wewe one billion umetoa wapi? Wafanyakazi wanalia huku na wewe unapeana one billion,” he stated.
The Nairobi senator further challenged Atwoli’s earlier claim that he held the “password” to national leadership.
“Mzee Atwoli ndiye alianza akisema eti ako na password ya uongozi. Mzee alisema eti yeye ndiye ako na password ya uongozi ya Kenya,” Sifuna said.
“Then nikauliza, kwanini hakupea Wetang’ula, Mudavadi and Raila Odinga? Sai tungekuwa Ikulu.”
Atwoli had made the KSh1 billion offer during a fundraiser at Mwichina Church of God in Lurambi Constituency on Sunday, July 12, 2026.
