Political analyst Herman Manyora has stated that, as things currently stand in the Kenyan political landscape, no politician is more popular than Edwin Sifuna, the Nairobi senator.

While speaking during his daily analysis on his channel in a segment aired on Friday, March 13, 2026, the analyst heaped praise on Sifuna, saying that he is currently the only politician with the most gravitas.

He further urged the embattled Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary-General, who was recently kicked out of his position but later reinstated by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, to seize the current momentum and use it to his advantage.

Manyora added that Sifuna should take time to sit down and introspect, assessing whether the excitement he is currently receiving from the masses is enough to propel him into a presidential run in the 2027 general election.

He also dismissed comparisons being made between Sifuna’s growing popularity and that of Peter Kenneth in the run-up to the 2013 presidential election, where Kenneth enjoyed significant public attention before finishing a distant third at the polls.

According to Manyora, Sifuna’s situation is different and more grounded in the current political reality.

“There was no wave for Peter Kenneth, but for Sifuna it is an objective reality that can be seen.” I don’t think there is any politician today who has more gravitas than Sifuna. There isn’t any politician who is more popular than Sifuna. It is up to Sifuna to decide whether this is enough for him to run in 2027.”

Sifuna’s popularity

These remarks come just days after Manyora also claimed that Sifuna has suddenly grown bigger than his party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), suggesting that even a deputy president slot might be too small for him.

He argued that Sifuna could instead be the one looking for a running mate to deputise him in 2027.

“Sifuna is way beyond ODM. Sifuna has achieved a new space, a new identity which is bigger than ODM.”

Savula’s rebuttal

This view contradicts that of local leaders from the Western region led by Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula, who compared Edwin Sifuna’s rising popularity to a bushfire that starts with a lot of pressure and havoc but is quickly put out.

Savula also labelled Sifuna’s political activities as “moto ya gazeti”, suggesting that the momentum surrounding the Nairobi senator will soon fade away.

He noted that Sifuna and his fellow Babu Owino, his counterpart in the Linda Mwananchi movement, are going nowhere politically, arguing that the influence they have been enjoying in recent months will soon die down.

According to Savula, Sifuna’s sudden excitement among the masses is largely driven by the internal wrangles within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), something he believes will not sustain the senator for long.

He further argued that Sifuna’s current political activities appear to lack a clear long-term end goal.