Siaya Governor James Orengo has rejected suggestions that Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna should be treated as the automatic presidential candidate of the Linda Mwananchi movement, saying members of the opposition coalition should be allowed to compete for the ticket.
Orengo, who has declared his intention to seek the presidency in the 2027 General Election, said his decision to enter the race was not aimed at blocking Sifuna but was part of the democratic process within the emerging opposition alliance.
“I am going to run for president, which is not a crime,” Orengo said in an interview with Citizen TV on Monday.
The Siaya governor invoked the Orange Democratic Movement’s 2007 experience, when several senior politicians were seeking the party’s presidential nomination before Raila Odinga emerged as its flag bearer.
“In 2007 there was what was called the Pentagon within ODM. The five people who constituted the Pentagon were all presidential candidates,” Orengo said.
He said the existence of several presidential aspirants did not prevent ODM from eventually settling on one candidate for the election.
Orengo rejected claims that his presidential bid was intended to undermine Sifuna, who has already declared his interest in the presidency and has received backing from several leaders within Linda Mwananchi.
“I am not spoiling it, because I am committed to having one presidential candidate,” Orengo said.
“Those who are raising these fears are not democrats.”
The governor said the question of the coalition's presidential candidate had also emerged during a recent meeting of its principals, but he opposed attempts to settle the matter before wider consultations.
“The issue of a presidential candidate was brought as an agenda, but I said it was inappropriate at that time and that it needed more consultation,” Orengo said.
“Some people were unhappy about that.”
Orengo's declaration has placed him in direct competition with Sifuna for the emerging opposition movement's presidential ticket.
Sifuna has been campaigning for the presidency and has received support from a section of leaders within Linda Mwananchi. Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, for instance, has publicly backed the Nairobi senator.
“We want to take Sifuna to State House,” Owino said during a Linda Mwananchi mobilisation event.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has also urged Orengo to withdraw from the race and support Sifuna, arguing that political leadership should be handed to a younger generation.
“I am appealing to Orengo to undertake one final task: transfer power from our generation to the younger generation and give Edwin Sifuna the opportunity to become President of Kenya,” Khalwale said.
Orengo, however, has maintained that he has a right to seek the ticket and that the final decision should be made through a democratic process.
The governor made his presidential ambitions public on August 28 while addressing mourners and supporters in Homa Bay County.
“From today, know that I’m a serious presidential candidate!” Orengo declared at the time.
His declaration has since drawn opposition from some leaders, including ODM chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, who has questioned whether Orengo has enough time to build a national campaign ahead of the 2027 election.
Wanga said a presidential campaign required extensive preparation, political networks and a clear strategy.
Orengo has nevertheless continued to campaign under the Linda Mwananchi banner, insisting that the movement should remain open to competition among its leaders.
