Bad News for Ruto as Popular UDA Senator Announces Plan to Contest on Sifuna’s Party Ticket in 2027

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has announced that he will contest the Kakamega governor’s seat in the 2027 General Election on the political party chosen by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

Khalwale made the announcement on Friday, October 2, as political parties and movements continue preparing for the 2027 elections. He said he was ready to put aside the United Patriotic Movement (UPM), which he had previously planned to use in his gubernatorial campaign.

According to Khalwale, UPM officials had agreed to support Sifuna’s presidential bid whether he chooses to use UPM or another political party.

He said that if Sifuna selects a different party, UPM would be shelved and he would seek the Kakamega governor’s position using Sifuna’s political vehicle.

The announcement comes at an important time for the Linda Mwananchi Movement, which named Sifuna as its leader and presidential candidate during a principals’ retreat held on September 26.

The movement has been working on the political vehicle that Sifuna will use in the 2027 presidential race. On Friday, the Registrar of Political Parties also approved the reservation of the Linda Mwananchi Movement name, allowing its promoters to proceed with the next steps toward registration.

However, the reservation of the name does not mean that Linda Mwananchi is already a fully registered political party. The movement must still meet the remaining legal requirements.

Khalwale’s announcement also came as UPM received its full registration certificate from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties. The party had previously been associated with his plans to contest for the Kakamega governorship.

The senator has in recent months publicly supported Sifuna’s presidential ambitions and participated in activities linked to Linda Mwananchi.

His latest declaration now ties his 2027 Kakamega gubernatorial plans to the political party that Sifuna eventually chooses for his presidential campaign. 

Title–Master [email protected]