Linda Mwananchi movement set for Nairobi rally in push for 2027

The much-anticipated Nairobi tour will begin at All Saints Cathedral at 9 am with a church service before the movement embarks on a tour of some of the city's busiest markets and neighbourhoods.

From the cathedral, Sifuna and his supporters are 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 in Embakasi East at around 2 pm, where Sifuna is expected to address a mega rally alongside fellow Linda Mwananchi leaders, among them Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.

The Nairobi mobilisation comes as the senator 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, a city long considered opposition turf.

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 rally caps weeks of mobilisation across Nairobi. Sifuna has in recent days met Bunge la Mwananchi representatives and grassroots organisers at his office to coordinate turnout, while several opposition figures have publicly thrown their weight behind the event and called on their supporters to attend.

It has since held rallies in Kajiado, Kakamega, Narok, Mombasa, Nakuru, Vihiga, Kisumu, Machakos, Thika, Kisii, Taita Taveta, Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, Homa Bay and Meru, with an earlier Nairobi leg held in March.

The movement has drawn large crowds in several of those counties, with some leaders publicly backing Sifuna as a potential presidential contender in 2027.

Its August stop in Homa Bay, however, was marred by violence that left two people dead and several others injured, a reminder of the stakes attached to the tour ahead of the next General Election.

The event has also generated political tension in the run-up to Sunday, with rival camps trading accusations over possible attempts to disrupt the gathering.

United Opposition principal and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka had alleged that ODM Nairobi chairman George Aladwa and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja were planning to disrupt the Linda Mwananchi rally.

Aladwa has since moved to assure Sifuna's camp that his party will not interfere with the tour, denying the allegations and insisting 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.