Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna faces one of his biggest political tests yet on Sunday as the Linda Mwananchi Movement takes its campaign to the capital in a high-profile mobilisation tour expected to culminate in a major rally at Jacaranda Grounds.
The much-anticipated Nairobi tour will begin at All Saints Cathedral at 9am with a church service before Sifuna and his supporters embark on a tour of some of the city’s busiest markets and neighbourhoods.
From the cathedral, the team is expected to head to Marikiti and Gikomba markets before proceeding to Burma Market.
The itinerary will then take the movement to Stage 17, B Centre and Manyanja, followed by a procession along Jogoo Road.
The tour is scheduled to conclude at Jacaranda Grounds at around 2pm, where Sifuna is expected to address a mega rally.
The Nairobi mobilisation comes as Sifuna seeks to expand the reach of Linda Mwananchi beyond its growing support base and demonstrate that the movement can command a significant political following in the capital.
Sifuna has urged his supporters to turn out in large numbers for what his allies have already described as the “mother of all rallies” for the Nairobi senator.
In a message shared on social media, Sifuna presented Sunday’s programme as a combination of prayer and political mobilisation, challenging supporters to find no excuse for staying away.
“Programme ya Sunday ni fupi sana… kwanza maombi ndio Mungu aongezee mahasidi na wale wa roho mbaya confusion… alafu tuingie kiwanja pale Jacaranda. Excuse yako ni gani?” Sifuna said.
The event is being closely watched as Sifuna continues to position himself as a major player in the opposition political realignment ahead of the 2027 General Election.
His public declaration of presidential ambitions and mobilisation under the Linda Mwananchi banner have raised his profile, particularly among younger voters, while placing him in an increasingly crowded opposition field.
But even before the rally, the Nairobi mobilisation has generated political tension, with rival camps trading accusations over possible attempts to disrupt the gathering.
ODM Nairobi chairman George Aladwa has moved to assure Sifuna’s camp that his party will not interfere with the Linda Mwananchi tour.
Aladwa denied allegations that he and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja were planning to disrupt the rally, saying Linda Mwananchi was free to conduct its political activities in the city.
“I wish to make our position as ODM Nairobi very clear. Linda Mwananchi is free to hold its rally and conduct its political activities in Nairobi,” Aladwa said.
He also dismissed claims that ODM had planned a parallel event in Nairobi on Sunday that could trigger a confrontation between supporters of the competing political formations.
His statement followed allegations by United Opposition principal and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka that Aladwa and Sakaja were planning to disrupt the Linda Mwananchi rally.