Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s presidential ambition has become a major political threat to DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa, with the latter’s key allies ditching the party in droves.
The departure of former Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi from DAP-K was the latest blow.
Wamunyinyi was no ordinary party member. He served as DAP-K deputy party leader and the founding party boss, while Eugene still served as Cabinet Secretary for Defence.
On October 20, Wamunyinyi announced he was abandoning the party to work with Sifuna, arguing that the Nairobi senator had emerged as a voice for ordinary Kenyans.
His exit comes barely months after Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, who also served as DAP-K deputy party leader, announced his departure following disagreements with Wamalwa over the party’s direction.
The departure of the two senior figures who have helped shape DAP-K’s political identity raises questions about the party’s future and its ability to remain a significant force in Western as the 2027 election approaches.
But the developments also reflect Sifuna’s remarkable political rise.
Just months ago, Linda Mwananchi was largely viewed as a rebellion within the Orange Democratic Movement, driven by younger politicians opposed to the party’s broad-based cooperation with President William Ruto.
The movement has since grown beyond its original ODM constituency, attracting influential politicians from different parties and positioning itself at the centre of discussions about the formation of a united opposition against Ruto.
On the other hand, DAP-K was among the parties that helped establish the United Opposition platform, giving Wamalwa a seat at the table in negotiations over 2027 politics.
The party also emerged from the 2022 elections as one of the significant political players in Western Kenya, winning the Trans Nzoia governorship under Natembeya and maintaining a parliamentary presence in the region.
However, the exits and political realignments surrounding Linda Mwananchi threaten to diminish that influence.
Natembeya’s departure in July dealt an early blow to Wamalwa’s leadership. Wamunyinyi’s decision to follow him now reinforces the impression that DAP-K is struggling to retain its senior political figures.
Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati has also backed Sifuna’s emerging political camp, while — though not from DAP-K — Bumula MP Jack Wamboka and Cherangany MP Patrick Simiyu have been associated with the movement.
In the event that these leaders are responding to the reality on the ground, DAP-K risks losing much of the political weight that made it relevant in the region.
Linda Mwananchi is also eating into other established parties nationally and in the region.
Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, who was one of the ODM deputy party leaders, has become one of the movement’s prominent figures.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has also joined the camp, signalling his willingness to put aside his own United Patriotic Movement political vehicle and pursue his gubernatorial ambitions on Sifuna’s anticipated party ticket.
Khalwale’s decision is significant because he was elected on the UDA ticket, illustrating how the movement is drawing politicians beyond ODM and DAP-K.
In fact, in August, the senator went to the extent of telling Eugene to declare support for Sifuna.
“Wamalwa, come and speak and accept that Eugene, you are behind Sifuna, so that we can all support him,” Khalwale said during the burial of his wife, Gloria.
Sifuna has also bagged Majimbo Kalasinga of Kabuchai from Ford Kenya, Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s party.
Sifuna’s engagement with Wiper boss Kalonzo Musyoka and Fred Matiang’i, followed by the October 20 meeting with DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua, has increasingly placed him at the centre of opposition consultations.
Political analyst Herman Manyora argues that Sifuna could command more votes than any other United Opposition principal if their respective support bases were put to the test.
He also notes that with Sifuna, Western Kenya is ready to produce a presidential candidate. The Nairobi senator is positioning himself as a potential bridge between competing opposition interests.
That shift could leave DAP-K with less leverage when decisions are made about the presidential ticket, regional power sharing and parliamentary contests.
Wamunyinyi’s appeal to Wamalwa to join Sifuna’s camp is particularly telling. It suggests that some of the party’s own senior figures increasingly see the Linda Mwananchi platform, rather than DAP-K, as the more promising vehicle for opposition unity.
