Residents of Kiminini in Trans Nzoia County transformed a roadside political rally into an impromptu fundraising event on Sunday. Supporters made spontaneous cash contributions to the Linda Mwananchi Movement, led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, demonstrating strong grassroots backing for his political agenda.
Supporters mobbed Sifuna’s convoy, donating coins and notes ranging from KSh 20 to KSh 50. Videos circulating on social media showed crowd members pressing forward through the crowd to hand small donations directly to Sifuna at his vehicle.
During the stopover, former Jubilee official Pauline Njoroge also appealed to supporters nationwide to contribute as little as KSh 10 to help support the movement’s logistics and mobilization efforts.
Accepting the contributions, Sifuna argued that relying on small donations ensures a leader remains accountable to the public rather than to wealthy financiers.
“They said one cannot be president in this country without money. I would rather be indebted to ordinary people giving me as little as KSh 10 than be indebted to a single individual giving me KSh 10 million,” Sifuna told supporters.
He warned that political figures funded by wealthy donors are often forced to reward them with lucrative public contracts after taking power contracts that frequently go unfulfilled at the expense of public infrastructure and development.
The spontaneous drive comes shortly after Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli publicly questioned whether Sifuna possessed the financial capacity for a presidential bid. Speaking at a church event in Lurambi, Kakamega County, Atwoli remarked:
“I have seen one of our young leaders announce a presidential bid, but you cannot become President using only your own money or borrowed funds; you need powerful friends with resources.”
Sifuna firmly dismissed the notion, maintaining that his political movement will continue to rely on modest, grassroots contributions from ordinary citizens rather than elite political networks.
