Linda Mwananchi raises Sh3 million in one day

The Linda Mwananchi movement raised more than Sh3 million on Friday, as its ongoing grassroots fundraising campaign continues to gather momentum.

The movement raised Sh3,000,617.28 on July 31, according to a sticker posted on its social media platforms, marking a significant boost to its ongoing public fundraising campaign.

The fundraising came on the final day of July, with the movement attributing part of the surge to its Friday Sh100 challenge, which encouraged supporters to contribute to the initiative.

“Small acts, big impact, real change. Every contribution counts. Asanteni sana!” the sticker reads.

It also lauded Kenyans who had contributed to the campaign, noting that their support was helping drive the movement forward.

“Thank you, Kenyans! Your generosity, belief and commitment are driving this movement forward. Together, we are building a united, strong and prosperous Kenya,” the post added.

The movement has in recent weeks intensified efforts to mobilise funds directly from members of the public through its paybill number, with supporters encouraged to contribute whatever amount they can afford.

The initiative is part of Linda Mwananchi’s broader effort to build a grassroots political movement while relying on small contributions from ordinary Kenyans to finance its mobilisation activities.

A key political figure associated with the movement, Edwin Sifuna, has also sought to assure supporters that the money being raised will be properly accounted for.

Speaking during a media interview, Sifuna said Kenyans of goodwill continued to contribute through the movement’s paybill number.

He defended the fundraising model, contending that public contributions are an important feature of mature democracies where citizens can directly support political leaders and movements they believe in.

“In mature democracies, it is the public that finances leaders to be able to run for office,” he said.

Sifuna said the approach would allow Linda Mwananchi to draw financial support from a broad base of supporters rather than relying on a few wealthy individuals to bankroll its political activities.

The movement, which was launched earlier this year, has increasingly turned to grassroots fundraising as it builds its presence and mobilises supporters across the country.

The paybill initiative was unveiled last month as part of efforts to encourage voluntary contributions from Kenyans, with supporters able to donate amounts as little as Sh10.

The latest Sh3 million collection represents one of the largest single-day hauls highlighted by the movement in its ongoing fundraising campaign and demonstrates the potential of its small-donation strategy to generate substantial sums when contributions are pooled from a large number of supporters.

The Friday Sh100 challenge appeared to provide an additional push, with the movement urging supporters to make a modest contribution while emphasising that even small amounts could collectively make a difference.