What Sifuna Said at Jacaranda, and What the Rally Showed

At Jacaranda Grounds in Embakasi East on 13 September 2026, Edwin Sifuna (Senator, Nairobi) told a Linda Mwananchi crowd that President William Ruto's time was up and that the opposition must "walk together with Kalonzo Musyoka and Rigathi Gachagua". He hinted at a presidential bid without formally declaring one. The movement filled Nairobi's streets without trouble that day, but it still had no registered party.

The route

The day began with a service at All Saints Cathedral. From there the procession moved through Marikiti and Gikomba markets, with stops at Stage 17, Bee Centre and Manyanja, before ending at Jacaranda Grounds, The Star and the Nation reported. Citizen Digital added Haile Selassie Avenue and Jogoo Road to the route. Some businesses closed ahead of the procession, according to The Star.

What Sifuna said

He came close to declaring. "People in other parts of the country want to take me to a certain job. Do you also want me to take that job? It will not be easy," the Nation quoted him. He did not name the job.

On Ruto he was blunter. "This administration should get one term, their time is up," The Star reported. AFP had him saying: "Kenya is saying, Honorable Ruto, your time is up. They're saying he should serve for one term." The agency described him gesturing to his watch.

He also spoke about unity. "We must walk together with Kalonzo Musyoka and Rigathi Gachagua and all other leaders in the opposition." Citizen Digital quoted him: "As the opposition, we will present one presidential candidate. I will speak with Riggy G, Kalonzo, and Orengo so that we can produce a single candidate."

On policy, the Nation reported him saying Nairobi's slums "are not housing problems but income problems" and that the Social Health Authority "is not working".

Three days earlier, at Kapkatet in Bureti on 10 September, Ruto had said the opposition would take Kenya "back to the stone age" and mocked its leaders for taking advice from "waganga". Sifuna answered the waganga remark from the stage, The Star reported.

Who stood with him

The Star listed James Orengo (Governor, Siaya), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), the former Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza and Pauline Njoroge. The Nation added Godfrey Osotsi (Senator, Vihiga), Boni Khalwale (Senator, Kakamega), nominated Senator Crystal Asige and the lawyer Faith Odhiambo.

"Sifuna is my son," Orengo said. "I want to announce that Sifuna and I will sit together at the negotiation table to ensure that we liberate Kenya." Owino said he had stepped aside to back Sifuna, then pitched his own Nairobi governor plans, saying the city was filthy "because Sakaja is unable to clean the city." Khalwale said he regretted backing Ruto in 2022.

What the rally showed

The Star and AFP both said thousands attended. The Nation pointed to Nairobi's roughly 2.7 million registered voters, a base that backed Raila Odinga in past elections, though a crowd tells you little about how those voters will mark a ballot.

The day passed peacefully. AFP reported heavy police presence and calm streets, and police praised the event, The Star said. That was worth noting because earlier Linda Mwananchi events had been attacked, in Homa Bay on 16 August and with teargas in Meru on 30 August. Human Rights Watch reported on 11 September that organised gang attacks on civic and opposition events since June had killed at least six people. We looked at that pattern in Kenya's market in political violence.

The stage also held several ambitions at once. Sifuna has a presidential bid; Orengo has declared for the same job; Owino wants Nairobi's governorship on a new party. We covered the first split in Linda Mwananchi's party question and Orengo's bid in what Orengo is offering.

And there was still no ballot line. Sifuna's allies said in September that a party would be unveiled around 3 October. On 13 September none had been named.

What to watch

• Whether the "one candidate" talks Sifuna and Orengo promised at Jacaranda produced a joint position.
• Whether a UDA-ODM rally at the same grounds went ahead. People Daily reported that Phelix Odiwuor (Lang'ata), the MP known as Jalang'o, hinted at one after Ruto's Nyanza tour ended on 16 September.