Ousted ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has accused the government of deliberately frustrating efforts to launch the Linda Mwananchi website and a mobile paybill platform meant to mobilize support for a faction within the Orange Democratic Movement.
Speaking in Nairobi during the People’s Dialogue Festival at Uhuru Park on Friday, Sifuna claimed the digital platforms have repeatedly faced unexplained blocks just as the movement gains national attention.
The Nairobi senator alleged that unnamed actors within government structures have interfered with the initiative, warning that attempts to silence the movement would not succeed.
Allegations of Interference Targeting the Linda Mwananchi Website
Sifuna said the Linda Mwananchi website was designed to serve as a digital coordination hub for supporters participating in the movement’s nationwide civic engagement tours.
According to him, the team planned to use the platform to publish updates, mobilize volunteers, and receive small financial contributions from supporters across the country. However, he claimed that efforts to bring the Linda Mwananchi website online have faced repeated obstacles.
Sifuna alleged that once the movement started attracting a significant following during public engagements, political rivals allegedly launched a campaign to derail its operations. He said the resistance escalated as the movement gained visibility in public forums and political discussions.
Sifuna further claimed that online infrastructure supporting the initiative had been delayed or blocked multiple times without clear explanations. Despite the alleged interference, he insisted the team remains determined to activate the website and continue mobilizing support.
“We have a website that we have struggled to bring live, but they frustrate it over and over,” Sifuna said during the forum.
Movement Supporters Push for Digital Platforms
Supporters aligned with the faction have reportedly pushed for the urgent rollout of the Linda Mwananchi website alongside a mobile money paybill number. The digital tools would allow the movement to coordinate logistics for its political engagements while also collecting voluntary contributions from supporters.
Sifuna said the initiative reflects a broader effort to modernize grassroots mobilization through technology. However, he alleged that attempts to establish a mobile paybill number have also been blocked.
“They have even blocked our attempts to set up mobile paybill numbers,” he claimed.
He nonetheless assured supporters that the technical challenges would soon be resolved. According to Sifuna, the movement expects to unveil alternative solutions that would allow supporters to contribute and stay connected with the campaign.
Bribery Claims Add New Twist to Political Tensions
The senator also made explosive claims that individuals linked to the political establishment were allegedly planning to offer him a massive financial incentive to abandon the movement. Sifuna alleged that he had received information suggesting plans to bribe him with up to KSh2 billion.
According to him, the alleged offer came after earlier attempts to discredit the movement through propaganda failed. He said some actors had spread claims that he had demanded money to withdraw from the faction’s political activities. Sifuna rejected the allegations and framed them as part of a broader effort to weaken the campaign.
“I hear they are having plans to bribe us with KSh2 billion after initial attempts failed,” he said.
He maintained that the movement’s leadership would not accept any offers aimed at stopping their activities. Sifuna added that the campaign has grown beyond individual leaders and now represents a broader push by supporters who oppose the current broad-based government arrangement.
Dispute Over Linda Mwananchi Party Registration
The controversy around the Linda Mwananchi website has emerged alongside another dispute involving the movement’s name. Earlier this week, leaders associated with the faction formally objected to the registration of a political outfit named the Linda Mwananchi Party.
The objection was submitted to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties through legal representatives. Sifuna and Babu Owino were among the leaders who opposed the application. They argued that the individual seeking to register the party was not affiliated with their movement.
The leaders warned that approving the registration could confuse the public and mislead supporters into believing the party was connected to their activities. Their protest followed a newspaper report claiming that the faction had already begun the process of transforming the movement into a political party.
According to the report, the individual behind the application had already requested the reservation of the movement’s name while the proposal undergoes review by the registrar’s office. However, leaders within the movement insist that no official plan currently exists to register such a party.
They maintain that the Linda Mwananchi initiative remains a political mobilization platform rather than a formal political outfit.
