Former Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has declared Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna a presidential candidate, saying his rise is undeniable and that no one can fight it.
Speaking on TV47’s Breakfast Show, Orwoba said ordinary Kenyans have already made up their minds and are simply waiting for the ballot.
“For them (Kenyans), they are waiting for Gachagua and Sifuna to be on the ballot so that they can vote for them, however way they come. That is what they are waiting for,” she said, arguing that the political party dynamics being debated by analysts mean very little to the average voter at the grassroots.
Orwoba was clear about her support for Sifuna, saying he is the right candidate to lead that generation.
“Sifuna is a presidential candidate. At his young age, he is the chosen one from that generation and we can’t fight it. I can’t fight it, nobody can fight it,” she stated.
She argued that Sifuna’s growing stature made it essential for him to have his own political vehicle, a party he can call home, so that he can take his rightful seat at the table with the other presidential candidates forming the united opposition.
She also used the party conversation to make a broader political point, warning that even if the current government attempted to cling to power through rigging or back-door means, it would find itself completely paralysed in Parliament.
“You will have no committees. Your budgets cannot be approved; your nominees cannot be approved. Literally you will be like a completely disabled figurehead sitting in State House,” she said, pointing out that Gachagua’s DCP party already had 78 members of parliament behind it as a foundation.
Strategic advisor, Frederick Okango, disagreed, drawing a clear line between Sifuna’s political ambitions and the legal requirements for running for office.
“Sifuna is not a presidential candidate. Sifuna is a presidential aspirant. You become a candidate when you have been cleared by IEBC. I can predict here, Sifuna will not be President,” Okango said.
The exchange highlighted a wider debate over whether Sifuna’s growing political support can translate into a presidential bid, or whether it is still the momentum of a movement yet to face the voters.
