KANU Endorses Edwin Sifuna's 2027 Presidential Bid

KANU has declared its full backing for Edwin Sifuna's 2027 presidential bid.

The party confirming it will withdraw from fielding candidates in Nairobi altogether, a move aimed at consolidating support behind the Linda Mwananchi coalition ahead of next year's general election.

The announcement came from Tony Gachoka, KANU spokesperson and Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant, during an appearance on Radio Generation's "The People's Breakfast" programme on Monday, 26 October.

Gachoka confirmed that both KANU and party leader Gideon Moi were offering Sifuna unconditional support.

"My party, Ya Chama Na Mama and Honourable Gideon Moi, support unequivocally Edwin Sifuna to be the president of Kenya. We will not compete with Sifuna where he is running candidates," he said.

Gachoka added that KANU had made a deliberate decision not to field MCA or parliamentary candidates in Nairobi, so as to avoid splitting votes against Sifuna's outfit.

According to Gachoka, the withdrawal was a strategic necessity rather than a simple gesture of goodwill.

He argued that Sifuna first needed a strong, unified political base before he could enter effective negotiations with other opposition figures, among them former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

"We will be putting our weight behind Linda Mwananchi and Edwin Sifuna, so that he can be able to go to the table with a basket," Gachoka said.

He insisted that Sifuna needed tangible political capital behind him before any coalition talks could carry real weight.

Gachoka also had a direct message for Sifuna's core support base in Luo Nyanza, cautioning that simultaneously backing Sifuna and the rival ODM faction led by Oburu Oginga was not a sustainable position.

"You cannot be saying you're fighting Ruto, and Ruto has got the other ODM of Oburu. Then you come on this side where the ODM offshoot of Sifuna is, and you don't give him the total political support," he said.

He further urged young supporters active online, whom he referred to as "warriors on social media," to channel their digital enthusiasm into concrete political alliances.

Gachoka pointed out that winning the presidency requires more than online noise, noting that a candidate must secure over 50 percent of the national vote, along with at least 25 percent of votes cast in at least half of Kenya's 47 counties.

The announcement lands amid reported friction within opposition ranks over whether Sifuna can realistically secure broad enough backing to mount a credible presidential run in 2027.

Some within Linda Mwananchi have maintained that Sifuna must remain on the ballot regardless of how coalition negotiations ultimately unfold.