Saboti Member of Parliament (MP) Caleb Amisi has come forward claiming he is the mastermind behind the Linda Mwananchi Movement, an opposition splinter group gaining traction ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during an interview on Tuesday, April 28, Amisi said he saw the need for an organised opposition force long before the political landscape shifted, and quietly began putting the pieces together while Raila Odinga was still alive.

“I am the most radical. It is only that you have never known me. I am the one who formed Linda Mwananchi but people do not know,” he said.q

He explained that he identified like-minded leaders, reached out to them individually, and brought them together under one roof, with many not even knowing each other at the time.

“I called Senator Edwin Sifuna, MP Babu Owino and told them that we needed to come together. They were shouting #RutoMustGo and had no defined umbrella. They were afraid,” he stated.

Amisi said he went ahead to design a poster, hosted the first meeting in Saboti, and deliberately included leaders with a national appeal such as Nyali MP Mohamed Ali and Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, although the latter has since moved to the government side.

The movement was initially called Kenya Moja, but everything changed when Edwin Sifuna was removed as ODM Secretary General.

The fallout sparked new divisions and drew in more leaders, including Siaya Governor James Orengo and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi.

“Now it became Linda Mwananchi,” Amisi said.

On the question of whether Raila gave him the green light to openly criticise the government, Amisi said the former Prime Minister did exactly that during a private meeting in Kileleshwa.

“I met former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Kileleshwa; we sat together, and I told him that my people have refused to support President William Ruto. Allow me to criticise the government. Raila told me to go ahead, ODM is not in government. I can quote him,” he explained.

The movement has since grown into a nationwide force, holding large rallies that have prompted government allies to question where its funding is coming from.

Amisi denied being behind the newly registered People’s Renaissance Movement but acknowledged knowing the people involved, saying they had approached him after being inspired by his own calls for a national renaissance.

“PRM has been linked to Linda Mwananchi which I started. So by extension, they think I am behind the movement,” he said.