How the ground is being laid for Sifuna’s grand homecoming in Bungoma
By Mabonga Makhanu, July 6, 2026The ground is steadily being laid for Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s upcoming grand homecoming in Bungoma County, scheduled for Sunday, July 26, 2027, a day after another major Linda Mwananchi rally in Kitale Town.
The homecoming comes at a time when Linda Mwananchi, team leader, a native of Kanduyi, Bungoma County, is seeking to secure the full blessings of his Mulembe community before embarking on the next phase of his nationwide political tour, aimed at consolidating support and popularising the Linda Mwananchi movement.
The outfit, which began as a faction within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), comprising rebel leaders, has since grown to embrace leaders from other political parties who have thrown their weight behind the vocal Nairobi senator.
“On the 26th, we will be in Bungoma for a homecoming. All our tribes will be there, and all our Luhya community leaders will be there. Also, all the council of elders and different organisational leaders will be present in Bungoma,” Natembeya said.
Sifuna’s homecoming
During the homecoming, according to Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, who spoke after holding a meeting with the Linda Mwananchi team at his home, on Sunday, July 5, 2026, the event will bring together all kinds of leaders, elders, and community mobilizers who will come out to bless Sifuna, crown him as their spokesman and presidential candidate, and officially release him as they, under his leadership, traverse and comb every part of Western Kenya and its 38 constituencies to woo the region into throwing its weight behind Senator Edwin Sifuna.
Sifuna himself, in a previous interview, stated that despite being a politician on the national stage and representing Nairobi in the Senate, he has his roots in Bungoma, Kanduyi, and that is what informed his decision to hold a homecoming in the county.
He stated that before embarking on the second phase of his countrywide political activities, he must first secure the full backing of his backyard.
Sifuna’s Homecoming preparations
Before this, local politicians from Bungoma County, led by former Bungoma Deputy Governor Charles Kibanani Ngome and Mary Atwoli, the wife of COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli, who unsuccessfully contested for the Bungoma Woman Representative seat in 2022, stated that they would lead the region in campaigning for Sifuna, traverse the entire region, and ensure every part is fully behind him.
They added that as Sifuna traverses the country in search of national support, their duty will be to ensure that the Mulembe region stands firmly behind him.
Governor Natembeya has equally reiterated that he will spearhead campaigns across the Mulembe region in support of Sifuna.
He argued that the region has for decades voted in a fragmented manner without rallying behind a single leader, expressing confidence that the 2027 General Election will mark a paradigm shift.
Sifuna-Bukusu elders’ meeting
Preparations for the homecoming have also included consultations with cultural leaders. Earlier, United Opposition spokesman Mukhisa Kituyi presided over a meeting between the Luhya Council of Elders and Edwin Sifuna at his Mbakalo home.
After the meeting, the parties agreed to hold a series of similar engagements before culminating in the grand homecoming ceremony, where Sifuna will officially be released to the nation.
Sifuna’s allies have also continued to drum up support ahead of the event. Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga has been campaigning vigorously for the senator, declaring him the Mulembe community’s preferred candidate in 2027 and warning that leaders who fail to support him risk losing political support.
At the same time, Sifuna has been meeting influential leaders from the region, including Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, who has agreed to throw his weight behind the Nairobi senator, further boosting preparations for the anticipated homecoming.
Savula downplays Sifuna’s popularity.
Despite the growing momentum, Sifuna’s rising popularity has also attracted criticism from leaders allied to the government. Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula has dismissed the senator’s growing influence, comparing it to a bushfire that starts with great intensity but is quickly extinguished.
It now remains to be seen whether the elaborate preparations, endorsements, mobilisation efforts, consultations with elders, and backing from influential political leaders will translate into a successful homecoming and mark the beginning of Edwin Sifuna’s inroads into a region that has for decades voted in fragments rather than rallying behind a single political figure.