Sifuna reveals talks with Tim Wanyonyi, declares Bungoma’s next governor will come from Linda Mwananchi
By Mabonga Makhanu, July 21, 2026Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has revealed talks with Westlands Member of Parliament Tim Wanyonyi as he declared that the next Bungoma governor will come from his Linda Mwananchi movement.
While speaking during an interview with a local media station on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, the outspoken former Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) secretary-general stated that he has been holding meetings with many gubernatorial aspirants from Bungoma County, including Wycliffe Wangamati.
“I have had meetings with Tim Wanyonyi. I have met Zachariah Barasa and all those people, including senate aspirants from Bungoma – very many aspirants – but one thing that I know is that whoever will be elected as Bungoma governor in 2027 will be from Linda Mwananchi,” Sifuna declared.
He further defended himself, saying that the quality of leaders aligning themselves with the Linda Mwananchi movement depicts that whoever will be given the ticket to vie under the movement will be the one to win the hotly contested gubernatorial position.
He further added that when the time comes, Bungoma residents will be the ones to make the decision on who becomes their county governor.
Mass defections to Linda Mwananchi
This comes at a time when there are mass defections from other parties within Western Kenya, particularly the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K), with leaders aligning themselves with the Nairobi senator’s Linda Mwananchi-led movement.
The most notable defector is Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, who also ditched DAP-K, where he served as the deputy party leader, to join Sifuna’s side. He urged the region to wait for the political party that the Nairobi senator will unveil, saying it will be the party they will use to contest various elective seats, with Sifuna vying for the presidency.
Wangamati joins Linda Mwanananchi
Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati also ditched the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) to align himself with Edwin Sifuna.
Wangamati, who had long harboured gubernatorial ambitions, appeared to shelve those plans and instead announced his intention to run for the Bungoma Senate seat. He urged all Senate aspirants to sit down and agree on one Linda Mwananchi flagbearer.
Former Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi and former Bungoma Deputy Governor Charles Ngome have also joined the Sifuna-led movement and vowed that they are waiting for the party that Sifuna will unveil for them to use as their ticket in contesting for various elective seats.
Sifuna Barasa feud
This also comes a day after the Nairobi Senator threw cold water on Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa’s gubernatorial bid, saying that his conduct during the funeral of the father of Wafula Wangamati had sealed his fate and that he would not be elected to office.
This also comes at a time when preparations for Sifuna’s homecoming in Bungoma are in full swing.