Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has cast doubt on the ability of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other emerging opposition leaders to establish a political outfit with a nationwide reach ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Mudavadi argued that creating a party capable of competing effectively across Kenya requires extensive grassroots organisation, something he said cannot be accomplished within a few months of an election.
He spoke on Saturday, September 5, 2026, during an engagement with UDA aspirants from Western Kenya, where he addressed the ongoing political realignments in the opposition and the rise of the Linda Mwananchi movement.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary questioned whether the new political formations have the extensive grassroots networks that enabled the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to mount nationwide campaigns.
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“Do they have the infrastructure that ODM had? Do they have it in all those polling stations in the country, in thousands? Do they have polling stations, people?” Mudavadi posed.
He maintained that a national political organisation cannot be built overnight, noting that parties need established networks and personnel at the grassroots to effectively mobilise voters during an election.
“And to build a party with a national footprint is not easy. And you cannot build it in a few months,” he said.
Mudavadi also appeared to challenge the effectiveness of political rallies and public gatherings as a strategy for establishing lasting political support.
He questioned what happens after opposition leaders leave the venues where they address supporters and whether they have left behind organised teams to sustain their political activities.
“You go to a rally, you go to a marketplace, you make noise on a market day. Who have you left behind? What structures have you left behind? Who has remained there to go to the grassroots?” he asked.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary further questioned the political vehicle Sifuna and his allies intend to use in the 2027 elections, saying the group had yet to clearly identify its party and build the necessary structures.
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“You have no political structure,” Mudavadi said, pointing to the limited time remaining before the next General Election.
His comments come against the backdrop of heightened political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 polls, with opposition figures exploring new alliances and political formations amid changes within ODM.
The emerging alignments, including the Linda Mwananchi movement, have continued to attract attention as leaders position themselves for the contest, with questions over party structures, grassroots mobilisation and the political vehicles to be used in 2027 becoming increasingly prominent.
