Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna took his fight against President William Ruto to Meru on Sunday, accusing the President of failing to deliver on his 2022 campaign promises and turning his back on the spirit of national unity.
Sifuna was speaking as the Linda Mwananchi movement took its political mobilisation drive to Meru, seeking to build support in a region that has traditionally been an important battleground in national politics.
He used the rally to dismiss Ruto's proposed Vision 2060, arguing that the President should first account for what he promised Kenyans before unveiling another long-term development plan.
“Right now he is lying to you here that he wants to write Vision 2060. We gave you five years; you failed at the plan you had. We will not allow you to write another plan for us,” Sifuna said.
The ODM Secretary-General also accused Ruto of failing to live up to the constitutional expectation that the presidency should serve as a symbol of national unity.
“Katiba yetu inasema that the office of the President is a symbol of national unity, but William Ruto as an individual is a symbol of our collective embarrassment and shame as a people in this Republic of Kenya,” he said.
The remarks came just as Ruto was advancing his own message of unity.
On Sunday, the President said the 2027 General Election would be “decisive and consequential”, promising to end what he described as the politics of division, fragmentation and marginalisation.
“We will bring to an end the stale politics of division, fragmentation and marginalisation, and usher in a new politics of unity, inclusion and transformation—one that leaves no community and no part of Kenya behind,” Ruto said.
The contrasting messages set the stage for an increasingly bitter political contest, with both sides seeking to claim the mantle of national unity ahead of the election.
Sifuna also sought to sell himself as a different kind of politician, promising not to make impossible pledges simply to win votes.
“As Sifuna, I will not lie to Kenyans to get elected President,” he told residents in Kiirua.
“I was brought up well, so I will not lie to Kenyans to get elected. I will always tell Kenyans the truth.”
He said voters deserved politicians who could distinguish between what was achievable and what was not.
“You can be loved by saying the truth. I will tell Kenyans what is achievable within what time and what is not,” he said.
Although Sifuna has not formally declared a presidential bid, his growing involvement in Linda Mwananchi activities has fuelled speculation that he could be positioning himself for a bigger role in 2027.
That speculation received a boost in Meru when former governor Kawira Mwangaza openly backed him.
Mwangaza asked Meru residents to support Sifuna and described him as a project of ordinary Kenyans.
“Huyu kiongozi Sifuna siku ya leo, mnayemuona hapa, kwa sababu ataongea msikie, ndio ninaomba Wameru wenzangu, tumshikilie, awe Rais wetu wa Sita wa Jamhuri ya Kenya,” she said.
She added: “Tunataka kuzunguka na yeye Kenya nzima, tuambie watu wa-support yeye. Sifuna is our project sisi kama wananchi.”
The endorsement gives Sifuna a foothold in a region where the opposition is keen to expand its reach as the 2027 contest takes shape.
Sifuna was accompanied by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino during the Meru tour, which featured meetings with residents and grassroots leaders.
The senator also received an unusually warm reception from some residents, who presented him with farm produce including maize, cassava, potatoes, bananas and green maize.
He responded with a lighter moment, joking that he had already received enough yams to last him a month.
“Thank you, Kawira Mwangaza for the warm reception. Meru hoyeee!” Sifuna said.
But beneath the lighter moments was a serious political message.
By taking Linda Mwananchi to Meru, Sifuna and his allies are testing whether their campaign can move beyond traditional opposition zones and establish a foothold among voters who have often backed the government of the day.
The challenge will be turning the enthusiasm at rallies into a coherent national political movement.
For Ruto, meanwhile, the task is to convince voters that his administration's record matches the transformation and inclusion he is promising, while keeping together a broad political coalition ahead of 2027.
