With Kenya’s political temperatures steadily rising ahead of the 2027 General Election, Saboti Member of Parliament (MP) Caleb Amisi has now lifted the lid on the origins of the influential Linda Mwananchi movement within Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), revealing that he personally founded the faction and assembled the team that would later propel Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna into the national spotlight.

Speaking during a Friday, May 15, 2026, interview on Alex Mwakideu TV, Amisi disclosed that the movement was born out of concerns that millions of Kenyans, especially young voters, felt politically homeless and disconnected from both President William Ruto’s camp and the traditional opposition.

“When you see Linda Mwananchi, remember you are talking to the founder of Linda Mwananchi, not a member. I’m the one who founded Linda Mwananchi,” Amisi declared.

The legislator explained that the formation began as a deliberate effort to unite youthful and reform-minded leaders from across the country under one political platform that could speak to ordinary wananchi.

According to Amisi, his first move was reaching out to key ODM figures and progressive politicians whom he believed reflected Kenya’s diverse political face.

“I started by calling Edwin Sifuna, I called Babu Owino, I called Omuchomba when she was still a good girl,” he said humorously.

“I called Ali Mohamed from Mombasa, Joshua Kimilu from Ukambani, Kibagendi Anthony, Obadiah Barongo, Clive Gisairo, and Christopher Wamboka personally and told them I wanted all of us in one function.”

Amisi revealed that the group’s first major gathering was quietly organised in Lukhokwe village in Kitale, where they unveiled what would later evolve into the Linda Mwananchi movement.

“I hosted them in Kitale, on a Sunday morning, in a small village called Lukhokwe, and we announced Kenya,” he stated.

The Saboti MP said the movement’s formation was informed by growing frustrations among Kenyans who were dissatisfied with the existing political order but equally unconvinced by the alternative opposition formations emerging across the country.

He argued that many young voters had become disillusioned with recycled political faces dominating the national scene for decades.

New gems?

“I realised there are people who do not want William Ruto, but neither are they seeing a potential replacement in the other group,” Amisi explained.

“This chunk of people would lead to voter apathy if they were not rallied around something new.”

According to him, Linda Mwananchi was therefore crafted as a fresh political vehicle capable of energising disengaged voters, particularly Gen Zs and first-time voters who increasingly demand issue-based politics and generational change.

“They don’t want people they have been seeing since they were young. They want something new, new people, something out of the ordinary,” he said.

Amisi further credited the movement with transforming Sifuna into one of the country’s most influential opposition voices, arguing that the faction injected new energy into ODM at a time when the party was struggling to maintain grassroots excitement.

“We moved around the country, saying we need young people. When we came in with Kenya Moja and later added others, it became Linda Mwananchi. You saw the masses,” he argued.

The MP argued that the huge crowds currently attending Linda Mwananchi rallies are evidence that the movement tapped into a political vacuum ignored by both government-aligned leaders and sections of the opposition.

“Why are those masses not in the united opposition?” he posed.

“We have been quiet, and they have been there for the last two years, but when Linda Mwananchi came in, people responded.”

Linda Mwananchi’s popularity

His remarks come at a time when Linda Mwananchi continues to gain traction within ODM amid internal tensions over the party’s relationship with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration.

The Sifuna-led faction has positioned itself as a people-centred opposition movement pushing for ODM’s independence from government cooperation arrangements, a stance that has resonated strongly among sections of the party’s grassroots supporters.

The movement’s growing influence among urban youth and digitally active voters could significantly shape ODM’s direction heading into the 2027 elections.

Amisi’s revelations now place him at the centre of a movement that has rapidly evolved from a small gathering in rural Kitale into one of the most talked-about political formations within the opposition landscape.

For instance, a deepening political rift is continuing within ODM after a new Trends and Insights For Africa (TIFA) survey revealed overwhelming support for the Linda Mwananchi faction associated with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, significantly outshining the rival Linda Ground camp linked to Oburu Odinga.

The survey paints a picture of an ODM support base increasingly gravitating toward a more aggressive, people-centred opposition approach, signalling growing discomfort with leaders perceived to be warming up to President William Ruto’s administration.

According to the TIFA findings released on Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Sifuna-led Linda Mwananchi faction commands 73 per cent support among ODM supporters, compared to just 24 per cent for the Linda Ground camp. Only three per cent of respondents said they had no opinion.

“ODM supporters appear to favour a more independent, people-centred opposition approach rather than closer cooperation with government. Strong backing for Linda Mwananchi suggests growing grassroots preference for leaders perceived as defending public interests and holding government accountable,” the survey notes.

Its growing popularity comes at a critical political moment as Kenya’s estimated 6.3 million Gen Z voters increasingly emerge as a decisive electoral bloc. Many young voters remain disillusioned with the government, citing unfulfilled promises, economic hardship, and concerns over claimed abductions and killings during protests.