Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Linda Mwananchi leaders during a rally in Mumias town on August 9, 2026. [ Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna-led Linda Mwananchi has intensified its push for support in Western Kenya, vowing to dismantle sugar cartels and reverse policies he blames for the collapse of the region’s sugar industry.
Sifuna said that if elected president in the 2027 General Election, he would not protect individuals accused of corruption and would pursue sugar cartels alongside President William Ruto.
The outspoken senator made the remarks during a three-day tour of Kakamega County, where he addressed rallies in Mumias, Shianda, Malaha, Navakholo, Malava and Lumakanda, attracting large crowds in the sugar-growing region.
Sifuna used the tour to intensify criticism of the Kenya Kwanza administration, accusing it of failing to honour promises to sugarcane farmers and revive the struggling industry. “I want to tell President Ruto that when we form the government next year, we are going to chase you with your cartels importing sugar,” Sifuna said, warning that a Linda Mwananchi government would not tolerate corruption.
He singled out Mumias Sugar Company, once a major economic pillar of Western Kenya, accusing corruption and sugar imports of undermining the mill and depriving farmers of a reliable market for their cane.