Luhya Elders Endorse Sifuna for Presidency Bid
The Luhya Elders Forum has thrown its support behind Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna as the preferred opposition candidate for the presidency in the coming general election.
Meeting in Kakamega to install a new chairman after the death of Patrick Wangamati in July, the elders declared that Sifuna had shown leadership qualities recognised across the country and built a wide national following through his Linda Mwananchi movement. The gathering marked a clear signal of regional backing for the senator’s political ambitions.
Deputy chairman Noah Wekesa led the forum in urging Sifuna to work with other opposition figures and present a single candidate capable of challenging the current administration. The elders stressed that unity would be essential if the opposition hoped to succeed. “Our son Edwin Sifuna has been accepted by a lot of people in the country, and since he is our son, we naturally want to state very clearly that we support his efforts of wanting to join others in the political arena,” Wekesa told reporters.
Wekesa highlighted the strong reception Sifuna had already received during extensive travels. “This young man has been close to 17 counties before he came here, and we have seen mammoth, huge crowds of young people, old people, poor people supporting Sifuna. So we as elders, we are right behind him,” he said. The forum acknowledged that Sifuna was not the only contender in the opposition ranks and encouraged him to negotiate a shared path forward.
“We are quite aware that he is not alone in the opposition. Join these people, talk to them, agree with them on the way forward,” Wekesa continued. He added that the elders would have offered a formal blessing had the senator been present. “If he was here, we would put our hands on his head and say, son, go ahead and join others in the effort of trying to produce new leadership in the country,” the deputy chairman stated. The group predicted that other opposition leaders would eventually rally around Sifuna, describing his rise as a natural development.
During the same session, veteran politician and former ambassador Burudi Nabwera was appointed the new chairman of the forum, succeeding the late Wangamati. The endorsement and leadership transition underscored the elders’ determination to influence the direction of opposition politics while prioritising collective strategy over individual ambitions.
