Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has hit back after Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko warned that Linda Mwananchi rallies would not be allowed in the county.
Ayacko’s statement came on Sunday during a Linda Mwananchi ground rally at Posta Grounds in Migori town, prompting a swift response from Sifuna.
Speaking in an interview on K24 TV on Monday, Sifuna dismissed Ayacko’s warning as an outdated political mindset.
“I will not stand and say that Hon. Ochilo Ayacko should not come to Nairobi. Let him come; even if he wants, I will facilitate him to hold his meeting here in Nairobi. But statements like the ones we hear from some leaders reflect a political system we want to leave behind,” Sifuna said.
He emphasized that Linda Mwananchi rallies are meant to foster open and honest debate, not intimidation.
“We want to have honest and open debate; if they defeat us intellectually, let them defeat us, but these acts of chaos and telling others not to hold meetings in certain areas — we are not in a KANU government,” he added, referencing Kenya’s past era of restricted political expression.
Governor Ayacko had earlier told the Linda Mwananchi leadership, led by Sifuna, that Migori residents were fully committed to ODM and its leadership under Oburu Odinga.
“We, who are here in Migori, do not want anyone to come and play with us. That other group of others, will you allow them to come here? Let me see those who have refused with their hands. If you are a person who wants to cause chaos, find another place to do it. Here in Migori, our leader is Oburu Odinga, and we are fully in ODM, and we have decided we want peace,” Ayacko said.
Sifuna, however, insisted that the rallies would continue as planned, underlining that his team is not afraid of challenges. He indicated that activities would resume after Ramadan, targeting not only Migori but other counties along the coast and beyond.
“Our meetings will continue because we are not cowards; we will wait for Ramadan to end and then plan our schedule. We will move to the coast, we will visit other places. I want to assure the Governor of Migori: we will come to Migori,” he stated.
The rallies, launched earlier this year, have stirred debate in counties where opposition and ODM support intersect, testing the limits of political freedom at the local level.