Cherargei claims Bungoma Linda Mwananchi rally photos are AI-generated
By Kenneth Mwenda, July 26, 2026Nandi Senator Samson Kiprotich Cherargei has claimed that photos showing the Linda Mwananchi rally in Bungoma were generated using artificial intelligence (AI), alleging that the images were meant to convince former President Uhuru Kenyatta that the movement had achieved political success.
Cherargei made the claims on Sunday, July 26, 2026, in a post on X, shortly after the Linda Mwananchi team held a major rally at Posta Grounds in Bungoma.
“The purported photos emanating from the Bungoma rally by the Linda/Shinda Mwananchi are AI-generated. That’s how desperate they are to prove to Uhuru that they have used his money correctly and have political value,” Cherargei wrote.
The senator further alleged that the movement’s public fundraising efforts were aimed at hiding its alleged financial backing.
“The sponsor must be made happy; that’s why they are fundraising publicly to try and run away from the fact that they are being funded. In fact, they have been picking money from Uhuru at the Wilson Airport private wing,” he claimed.
Cherargei did not provide evidence or technical analysis to support his claim that the images were AI-generated.
Linda Mwananchi rally attracts crowds
The claims came after the Linda Mwananchi movement concluded its Western Kenya tour with a rally in Bungoma attended by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Siaya Governor James Orengo and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya and other allies.
The leaders addressed supporters at Posta Grounds, where they criticised President William Ruto’s administration and accused ODM’s new leadership of abandoning the party’s original direction after the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The movement had toured several areas in Trans Nzoia and Bungoma, including Kitale, Kiminini, Kamukuywa, Kimilili and Chwele.
Videos from the tour showed supporters lining roads as the convoy moved through different towns before arriving in Bungoma.
Cherargei’s remarks followed similar claims he made in April when he questioned the authenticity of photos from a Linda Mwananchi event in Kisumu. He claimed at the time that the images were also AI-generated.
The senator has repeatedly questioned the size of crowds attending opposition-linked events and has connected the movement to allegations of financial support from former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The funding of Linda Mwananchi has become a subject of political debate, with Kenya Kwanza politicians questioning how the movement finances its activities.
Cherargei alleged that the fundraising campaigns were designed to create the impression that ordinary supporters were funding the movement while hiding the involvement of wealthy backers.
However, Sifuna and his allies have denied receiving secret funding from Uhuru Kenyatta.
The Nairobi senator has maintained that the movement is supported through contributions from ordinary Kenyans. The group launched public fundraising efforts through a paybill number, with supporters encouraged to contribute towards its activities.
Political battle after Raila’s death
Cherargei’s remarks came as Linda Mwananchi leaders intensified criticism of ODM’s current leadership and its relationship with President Ruto’s administration.
During the Bungoma rally, Sifuna asked ODM supporters to allow him to pursue a different political path, saying he had remained loyal to Raila Odinga and kept his promise not to destroy the party.
Orengo declared that ODM had lost its identity after leaders began targeting Sifuna, while Natembeya urged Nyanza voters not to move closer to President Ruto’s side.
The political disagreements followed changes within ODM after Raila’s death, including Sifuna’s removal as party secretary-general.