Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, once considered a potential successor, has been politically adrift, operating as a "lone ranger" and avoiding public alliances with either President Ruto or the Gachagua-led opposition.
If there is one prominent Mt Kenya politician who found himself in unfamiliar political waters following former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s October 2024 impeachment, it is Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro.
For the first time, Mr Nyoro has broken the political silence that had earned him the label of a “watermelon,” saying the impeachment of Mr Gachagua was an act of political illiteracy that lacked wisdom and foresight regarding its ramifications," which prompted him to drift away from President William Ruto’s loyal camp.
In a media interview aired on Tuesday, the MP said the decision to impeach Mr Gachagua was not subjected to a proper assessment of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, risks or timing.
“I advised that serious consideration be given to the number of people who would feel aggrieved by the decision and that the choice to impeach or not be based on such analysis. Unfortunately, I was not taken seriously,” he said.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at the National Assembly during the debate on the motion to impeach him on October 8, 2024.
Mr Nyoro said he tried to “hammer sense” into the framers of the impeachment motion, which was tabled by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, but his counsel was ignored.
“I advised that we differentiate between ideological political differences that could be reconciled and personal grudges. Miscalculation carried the day and here we are,” he said.
Mr Nyoro’s political star had begun to shine brighter after President Ruto was sworn in on September 13, 2022. At the time, popular opinion suggested the Kiharu MP was being primed to replace Mr Gachagua as the Mt Kenya kingpin—long before impeachment became part of the political conversation.
During his prolonged silence after the impeachment, it was widely believed within Mr Gachagua’s inner circle that Mr Nyoro was part of the plot to remove the former deputy president.
Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu, for instance, openly urged President Ruto to replace Mr Gachagua with Mr Nyoro as his running mate in 2027 to boost re-election chances.
Mr Nyutu accused Mr Gachagua of treating junior leaders with contempt, being divisive and lacking the political acumen to help President Ruto secure a second term.
“If you go into 2027 with Mr Gachagua as your running mate, you will have problems. The only person who can unite Mt Kenya and help you win is Nyoro,” Mr Nyutu declared at the time—though he has since morphed into one of Mr Gachagua’s staunchest supporters.
Mr Nyoro now insists there is no political marriage between him and President Ruto, even after the president, while on a six-day Mt Kenya tour on April 1, 2025, described him as “a politician of great promise whom I am mentoring for bigger roles in the future.”
In what has sent mixed signals, Mr Nyoro’s youthful loyalists have been traversing Murang’a County campaigning for President Ruto’s re-election even as the MP himself carves out a personal niche by issuing pointed statements critical of the Kenya Kwanza administration, particularly over what he terms a “poor” economy.
National Assembly Chairperson on Budget Committee Samuel Atandi.
His political standing became even more complicated after the formation of the Broad-Based Government, which saw him removed from the powerful Budget and Appropriations Committee and reassigned to the relatively low-profile Diaspora and Immigrant Workers Committee.
He was replaced by Alego-Usonga ODM MP Samuel Atandi.
While Mr Nyoro initially projected himself as an independent political actor—fueling speculation that he was eyeing a third force—Mr Gachagua and his allies remained suspicious, urging him to either openly join their camp in the bid to make President Ruto a one-term leader or risk being viewed as a project meant to split the Mt Kenya vote.
In a recent interview, Mr Gachagua publicly challenged Mr Nyoro to declare his political allegiance.
“Make your stand on Mt Kenya interests known. Your silence is not helpful. We want to know our numbers. Community matters are not for the silent,” Mr Gachagua said during an interview on Inooro TV.
As Mr Nyoro’s predicament deepened, he appeared determined to safeguard his political relevance by consolidating his base in Kiharu. Reports have since emerged that, in collaboration with a Mt Kenya-based governor, he has discreetly taken control of a political party to deploy in the 2027 elections.
Political analysts say Mr Nyoro’s evolving stance is set to significantly influence national politics.
“We are witnessing a Mt Kenya region oscillating among three major formations—those aligned with the president, those backing former president Uhuru Kenyatta and his preferred candidate Fred Matiang’i, and those rallying behind Mr Gachagua,” says political analyst Samuel Wang’ombe.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro.
Mr Wang’ombe argues that Mr Nyoro’s decision to abandon the middle ground and align himself with the United Opposition—where he has spoken positively about Mr Gachagua—has elevated his political value.
“The path Nyoro initially pursued was dangerous in a region increasingly disillusioned with the Ruto administration and biding its time to exact ballot revenge in 2027,” he says.
He cites past cases of politicians such as Martha Karua, Peter Kenneth and Wangari Maathai who were rejected by Mt Kenya voters for defying the region’s political mood.
“We saw the region punish Mr Kenyatta in 2022 for what voters perceived as betrayal when he backed Raila Odinga. We have also seen Mt Kenya revive Mr Gachagua’s fortunes because they believe he champions their interests. Nyoro has always known the ground is hard—hence his decision to realign,” Mr Wang’ombe said.
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