Edwin Sifuna has claimed he is facing growing pressure and frustration from the government as he continues to champion the Linda Mwananchi movement.
Speaking on Friday during the People’s Dialogue Festival at Uhuru Park, the outspoken senator alleged that efforts by his faction to mobilise supporters through digital platforms have repeatedly been sabotaged.
According to Sifuna, attempts to launch a website and mobile money platform to coordinate support for the Linda Mwananchi tours have been consistently blocked. He claimed the obstacles began after the movement started attracting significant public attention across the country.
Lawyer Sifuna further alleged that individuals linked to the government had begun spreading propaganda suggesting that he had demanded money to abandon the movement’s political ambitions.
“I hear they are having plans to bribe us with Ksh 2 billion after initial attempts failed. We want to assure you that because this movement is bigger than us, we will not give in to any of their attempts,” he said.
The city senator added that despite repeated efforts, their team has struggled to keep their website online, claiming it is frequently taken down whenever they attempt to activate it. He also accused authorities of blocking their attempts to secure a mobile money Paybill number that supporters could use to contribute to the movement.
“We also have a website that we have struggled to bring live, but they frustrate it over and over. They have even blocked our attempts to set up mobile Paybill numbers,” Sifuna stated, promising supporters that a solution would be in place soon even if it means seeking technology from overseas.
The remarks come amid internal tensions within Orange Democratic Movement over the Linda Mwananchi faction’s activities.
Earlier this week, Sifuna, Godfrey Osotsi and other leaders, including MP Babu Owino, formally opposed the registration of a political outfit named the Linda Mwananchi Party at the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.
They argued that the individual seeking to register the party was not affiliated with their movement and warned that approving the name could mislead supporters into believing the party was linked to their activities.