EXPERT: Sifuna's options if he wins presidency with less MPs

Parliament controls legislation, budget approval and oversight, so a president without numbers must build durable and sustainable coalitions.

If Edwin Sifuna wins the presidency in 2027 while his party lacks a working majority in the National Assembly and the Senate, he could still govern, but only by turning the presidency into a negotiating office rather than a command centre.

Sifuna’s first option would be a formal post-election coalition agreement with parties commanding numbers of Members of the National Assembly and Senators.

This would involve a written agreement covering Cabinet positions, parliamentary leadership roles, committee chairs and a shared legislative programme.

His new political vehicle, The Equitable Party, gives him leverage in coalition talks because he can bring presidential legitimacy and a national platform to the table.

The risk is that coalition partners could demand costly concessions or threaten to withdraw and put challenges to his governance on a daily basis.

Source: The Star