President William Ruto has ridiculed Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna over the birth of The Equitable Party (TEP) and his presence at a concert headlined by Congolese music star Koffi Olomide. Ruto, on his tour in West Pokot on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, raised questions over his political ambitions and interests, in addition to lampooning the singer for choosing to perform at a drinks’ bar.

“I saw Mr Empty, launch a party called The Empty Party, then proceed straight to a bar,” Ruto jibed. “The last time we saw him, he was with Koffi Olomide, a table full of that expensive liquor with two names.”

“The man is empty, the party is empty and all they have is that liquor,” the Head of State concluded in the body of his speech.

President Ruto questioned the new party’s finances after claiming that it was seeking contributions from its supporters in whatever form, asking how it was going to fund its campaigns and overheads. The Senator has, thus far, offered no public comment on his mentor’s latest barbs.

Sifuna, who was unveiled as the leader and presidential candidate of TEP during its launch in Nairobi on October 4, was present with several movers and shakers of the Linda Mwananchi movement, including Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino, Siaya Senator James Orengo and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya.

The party was unveiled as a political vehicle for Sifuna and his allies ahead of the 2027 General Election. Nevertheless, the party is already in the process of reinventing itself. Its National Executive Council approved rebranding as the Linda Mwananchi Movement, with the transition expected to take effect through the relevant procedures.

Speaking to The Star in an interview that appeared online on October 10, Sifuna said his immediate focus was on setting up the party structures and rebranding before any discussions on forming a presidential pact.

The latest developments are the latest chapter in the war of words between Ruto and his aide over politics, taxes and the government’s agenda. In one set of_tweets that went viral on social media, Sifuna lambasted the monthly deductions he makes for the Affordable Housing Levy and the Social Health Authority in scathing terms.

“Is he done ranting about the 24K I pay for his housing scam because there is this Ksh43,000 I pay every month for his SHA scam we also need to discuss,” he wrote in part.

In addition, he said that if his party wins the 2027 elections, the first thing he will do is to scrap the housing levy.

Ruto’s speech in Pokot targeted Sifuna’s new party and his decision to attend a concert in honour of veteran radio personality Fred Obachi Machoka’s 50 years in the industry on October 10. The show, which also featured Congolese singer Koffi Olomide, was held at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi, K24 Digital reported.

The two politicians are among those who have ramped up their activities as the country gears towards the next general election.