Senator Edwin Sifuna, MP Babu Owino, in Githongo, Central Imenti, Meru County, on August 30/FILEThe Linda Mwananchi team has formally registered with American authorities to undertake activities on behalf of the movement, opening a new front for Senator Edwin Sifuna’s growing political campaign.
The details came to light as it emerged that Kenyans in the US have established a mega campaign machine for Sifuna and a Linda Mwananchi USA Diaspora Chapter.
The USA Diaspora Chapter has established an office with 31 officials at the helm of its leadership.
The Star has established that on August 16, Paul Lwali registered with the US Department of Justice as a lobbyist for Linda Mwanachi.
Lwali says in the filings that some of his key activities will include “advocating for the foreign principal to Kenya diaspora in the USA.”
He will also “plan and promote opportunities for the foreign principal to meet, greet and address individuals at USA events.”
Although thousands of kilometres away from Nairobi, Washington has always influenced Kenyan politics in many ways.
State House contestants are always seeking to be looked at favourably by the White House or Capitol Hill.
Kenyan’s in the diaspora are also known to mobilise a heavy campaign war chest for leading presidential contenders.
Lwali is the Linda Mwananchi USA Diaspora Chapter fundraising and donor engagement director.
The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) is a US law that requires people and organisations in the U.S. who work on behalf of foreign governments, political parties, companies or other foreign entities to publicly disclose that relationship.
Lwali, himself an American citizen, is listed as the registrant, with an address in Shoreline, Washington, while Linda Mwananchi Diaspora gives an address in Arlington, Texas.
The registration means the Linda Mwananchi movement now has a representative formally registered to advance its interests among Kenyans in the US.
The registration is another pointer of the growth of Linda Mwananchi, which is now seeking to establish an organised presence among Kenyans living in the United States.
It also says the activities on behalf of the foreign principal will include the preparation and dissemination of informational materials.
When reached for comment, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi did not confirm or deny if Sifuna is expected to participate in the activities in the US.
The registration marks another step in the rapid expansion of Linda Mwananchi, which has evolved from an ODM rebel platform into a national movement.
Associate Dean at the University of Nairobi’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Dr Kenneth Ombongi, linked the US registration to Linda Mwananchi’s efforts to mobilise resources for its political activities.
Ombongi said the Sifuna-led movement faces resource constraints as it builds its political campaign, while also operating in an environment where the government is closely watching the sources of funding for political activities.
“The establishment here is closely watching who is funding, and the real money is not from common Kenyans but from corporates out there who have an interest in the leadership of this country. So, to ameliorate that challenge, they may be looking for that alternative,” Ombongi said.
He said the movement was also conscious that its rivals enjoy
the financial advantages that come with incumbency, making the diaspora an
important potential source of political funding.
The mission of the US chapter is to organise, empower and mobilise Kenyans living in America, providing resources, networks, ideas and international visibility for a movement seeking generational change in Kenya’s leadership.
The US push comes after months of nationwide mobilisation by Sifuna and his allies.
The movement is now preparing for a major rally in Nairobi on Sunday as it seeks to consolidate its national support base.
The US outreach comes against the backdrop of growing interest in Sifuna among foreign diplomats based in Nairobi.
The Nairobi senator has in recent weeks held meetings with several senior foreign envoys, including then French Ambassador Arnaud Suquet, Australian High Commissioner Andrew Barnes, EU Ambassador Henriette Geiger and German Ambassador Sebastian Groth.
Kenyans living abroad have become an increasingly important
source of political support and financial contributions, while the diaspora
also provides access to international professional and political networks.
Top Kenyan politicians have always hired top lobbying firms to spruce up their image in foreign capitals and plan their political campaign.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Mattiangi had, by 2024, sought help from a lobbying big gun to ensure he secures victory in the 2027 presidential election.
Matiang'i inked a consultancy agreement with Canadian lobbying firm Dickens & Madson on July 29, 2024, to support his efforts to become president.
In 2017, Raila Odinga hired Aristotle International, a prominent U.S-based political consulting and data technology firm, to help with campaigns.
Its officials were, however, kicked out of the country by Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration days before the polls.
Uhuru had himself hired the services of British data mining firm Cambridge Analytica.
The firm was accused of using personal data harvested from millions of Facebook profiles without consent to build psychological profiles and influence voters.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Sifuna's political network is expanding beyond Kenya, into the influential diaspora, with formal lobbying giving Linda Mwananchi an organised presence and potential fundraising base ahead of 2027. The development could strengthen Sifuna’s international profile and resources. However, it may also attract scrutiny over foreign-agent disclosure, campaign financing and the sources of diaspora funding.
