Sh55 Donor Moves to Court Seeking Accountability Over Linda Mwananchi Funds
A Kenyan voter who contributed Sh55 to the Linda Mwananchi political movement has moved to the High Court seeking a detailed account of money raised through the initiative.
A Kenyan voter who contributed Sh55 to the Linda Mwananchi political movement has moved to the High Court seeking a detailed account of money raised through the initiative.
The petitioner, Alan Masakhalia, wants Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and the Linda Mwananchi movement to disclose how funds collected from members of the public were received, held and spent.
Masakhalia says he made his contribution through Paybill number 3033049 after responding to public appeals for financial support for the movement.
According to his court papers, he believed the contribution was connected to the political project associated with Sifuna and his reported presidential ambitions ahead of the 2027 General Election. He maintains that the money was not given to Sifuna as a personal gift.
The petition comes after Linda Mwananchi launched a public fundraising drive in July, asking supporters to contribute money towards the movement’s activities and logistics.
The movement reported that 9,419 people contributed a combined Sh519,144 during the first day of the campaign. The amount later rose to approximately Sh2.21 million within about 36 hours.
Contributions ranged from as little as Sh1 to Sh5,000, with the average donation standing at about Sh55.
Sifuna had explained that the Paybill was registered in his name because Linda Mwananchi had not been registered as a political party at the time the fundraising campaign was launched.
The senator also said the money was intended to support the movement’s operations, including logistical expenses associated with its political activities.
Masakhalia is now asking the court to compel Sifuna and the movement to provide a full account of the money collected through the Paybill and any other fundraising channels.
Among the information he wants disclosed are the total amount received, the accounts or financial instruments where the money was held, expenditure records, the beneficiaries of payments and the purposes for which the funds were spent.
He is also seeking access to relevant financial, M-Pesa, Paybill and accounting records.
Masakhalia has, however, distinguished his demand for financial accountability from Sifuna’s political choices.
He says he is not asking the court to compel the senator to contest the 2027 presidential election. Instead, his concern is what should happen to money contributed by members of the public if the political project changes direction or is abandoned.
The case has brought renewed attention to how political movements that have not yet been formally registered raise and manage money from ordinary supporters.
It also places the spotlight on the use of mobile-money platforms for political fundraising, particularly where contributions are made by thousands of individuals in small amounts.
The High Court will now consider the petition and the issues raised concerning the management and accountability of funds collected through the Linda Mwananchi initiative.
