Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna is facing a court petition over millions of shillings raised through the Linda Mwananchi movement, with a contributor asking the High Court to compel him to account for the money.
The petitioner, Alan Masakhalia, says he donated to the fundraising campaign believing the money would support the political project associated with Sifuna and his possible presidential ambitions in the 2027 election.
Masakhalia says he contributed Sh55 through Paybill number 3033049 after following Sifuna’s public mobilisation around Linda Mwananchi.
In court documents cited in the petition, he says his contribution was made for what he understood to be Sifuna’s presidential campaign effort, rather than as a personal gift to the senator.
The case comes after Linda Mwananchi attracted more than Sh2.2 million through the Paybill within roughly 36 hours of its launch in July.
According to figures released by the movement, 9,419 people contributed Sh519,144 during the first fundraising period, with donations ranging from Sh1 to Sh5,000. The average contribution was about Sh55.
The movement had appealed to supporters to contribute as little as Sh10 to help finance its activities and logistics.
Sifuna explained at the time that the Paybill was registered under his name because Linda Mwananchi had not been registered as a political party.
“You will see my name on the Paybill. The Paybill number is 3033049,” he said during an interview with Mulembe FM.
He also said the money was intended for the movement’s operations, including rally logistics and payments to service providers.
“We use the money to pay DJ Spider and also pay for other logistics,” Sifuna said.
He pledged that the funds would be accounted for publicly.
“Send me those Sh10, and I shall later announce how much we have raised,” he said.
What the petitioner wants
Masakhalia’s complaint is not asking the court to force Sifuna to run for president.
Instead, he wants the court to determine what should happen to money donated by members of the public if the political project changes.
The petitioner argues that contributors should be told how much was collected, where the money is held and how it has been spent.
Among the orders he is seeking are disclosures covering the total amount received through the fundraising, the accounts or financial instruments holding the money, expenditure records, recipients of payments and the stated purposes of those payments.
He is also asking for financial, M-Pesa, Paybill, accounting and communication records relating to the fundraising to be preserved while the case is being heard.
Masakhalia says he is concerned that the funds could be transferred or used for another political purpose if Sifuna ultimately backs a different presidential candidate.
The petitioner refers to several politicians, including former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, as possible figures Sifuna could support.
Those possibilities, however, do not establish that Sifuna has decided to transfer the funds or abandon Linda Mwananchi.
Sifuna’s position
Sifuna has previously rejected the suggestion that Linda Mwananchi was being financed by wealthy sponsors.
He said the movement was raising money from ordinary supporters to meet the costs of its activities.
“We are not looking to enrich ourselves. We do not need too much money. What we need is to cover the logistics of attending some of these meetings,” he said.
He also disclosed that one of the movement’s rallies in Kisumu had cost about Sh2.6 million, with much of that expenditure attributed to security.
The fundraising account later became the subject of further attention after the movement reported a technical problem with the Paybill. At the time, reported collections stood at Sh2,210,836.82.
Linda Mwananchi has continued its political activities. In September, the movement announced a Nairobi tour as part of its nationwide engagements ahead of the 2027 general election, again displaying Paybill 3033049 on its promotional material.
The wider legal question
The dispute also raises questions about political fundraising outside the structure of a registered political party.
Kenya’s Election Campaign Financing Act provides a framework for campaign contributions, expenditure, disclosure and record-keeping. It defines campaign contributions broadly and includes public collections, or “harambees”, among potential sources of campaign funds.
The Political Parties Act separately requires registered political parties to maintain financial records and disclose information about their sources of funds. It also provides for voluntary contributions and other lawful sources of party funding.
The legal position surrounding the Linda Mwananchi fundraising will depend in part on how the court characterises the money raised, the status of the movement and the purpose for which the contributions were solicited.
For now, the petition represents allegations and requests for court orders, not a finding that Sifuna misused or diverted any funds.
The central question is therefore narrower than the politics surrounding the movement: what obligations, if any, arise when members of the public contribute money to a political project held through an account registered in an individual’s name?
That is a question the court has been asked to determine.
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