Kericho Senator and Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot has dismissed the growing popularity of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and the opposition’s Linda Mwananchi movement, describing it as a social media-driven phenomenon that may not translate into electoral success in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during an interview aired on Friday, July 3, 2026, Cheruiyot argued that the opposition team behind the movement is relatively small and has placed too much faith in online popularity, which he said does not necessarily reflect the realities of Kenyan politics.

“They have a very small team on their side. It’s very lean,” Cheruiyot said, adding that while the group may continue reaching out to more leaders, its political strategy is too much hype that is built online.

The senator compared the current momentum surrounding Linda Mwananchi to the wave of excitement that followed the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, when many Kenyans called for a new generation of political leaders.

He noted that figures who were initially viewed as possible alternatives quickly lost public attention, arguing that the same could happen to Sifuna.

“With a lot of respect to my colleague Sifuna, I believe he’s in that bubble at the moment,” Cheruiyot said.

While acknowledging that social media is effective in mobilising people around a common cause, Cheruiyot maintained that it plays only a limited role in determining election outcomes.

“If it were like a credit score between one and ten, I’d give it a maximum of two,” he said when asked about the influence of the digital space in the 2027 elections.

Social media dynamics

He argued that although young people actively engage on social media, they also make political decisions based on real-life experiences and conversations with their families, community leaders and politicians from their regions.

“To fully bank 100 per cent on the online space and think that that is what will influence our politics is to be a novice at best,” he added.

Cheruiyot further distinguished between online mobilisation and building a viable political movement, saying the two should not be confused.

He cited the 2024 anti-finance bill protests as an example of how social media can rally people around a particular issue but may not necessarily produce a lasting political vehicle capable of winning elections.

His remarks come just days after Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula made similar comments about the growing popularity of the Linda Mwananchi team led by Senator Edwin Sifuna.

Savula’s view

Savula likened the movement’s popularity to a “bush fire” (moto wa karatasi), saying it burns intensely for a short period before quickly dying out, suggesting that the opposition’s current momentum could fade before the 2027 general election.