Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has rejected any proposal to have Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna serve as deputy president under a United Opposition presidential ticket, insisting that the Linda Mwananchi movement should provide the presidential candidate.
Natembeya said the position reflected what he described as the message the movement had received during its political mobilisation tours across the country.
“If the United Opposition says Sifuna should be Deputy President, we will not accept it. We have travelled across Kenya, and everywhere, people are saying, ‘Sisi ndio Sifuna.’ Let the United Opposition provide the Deputy President, while Linda Mwananchi provides the President,” Natembeya said.
His remarks place the question of the opposition presidential ticket at the centre of ongoing discussions between Linda Mwananchi and other opposition formations ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Sifuna has publicly expressed his intention to pursue a bigger national political role and has called for opposition leaders to work together. During a Linda Mwananchi mobilisation rally in Nairobi, he called for cooperation with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and other opposition leaders.
However, the question of who should lead a united opposition ticket remains unsettled. Recent reporting has indicated that Linda Mwananchi leaders are pushing Sifuna as their preferred presidential candidate, while some leaders within the movement have also expressed interest in the top seat.
Natembeya has in recent months publicly aligned himself with Sifuna and the Linda Mwananchi movement while remaining associated with the wider opposition political camp. His latest remarks reinforce his support for Sifuna’s presidential bid and draw a clear distinction between the presidential and deputy presidential positions being discussed by the competing formations.
The comments come as opposition leaders intensify consultations over possible coalition arrangements, with negotiations expected to determine how the various political formations will work together ahead of the 2027 election.
