Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro during a press conference at his Kenyatta International Convention Centre office.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro on Tuesday appeared conflicted between the past and the future as he lamented betrayal in politics following his removal from the Budget Committee while hesitating to directly sever ties with his boss, President William Ruto.
For close to one and a half hours, in a room packed with a battery of journalists, Mr Nyoro, who was ousted last week as the chairperson of the Budget Committee, took journalists through his personal life and finally revealed that, on a personal level, he felt disappointed and betrayed.
Although the Kiharu MP avoided any direct attacks on President Ruto, his one-time close ally, and consistently dodged questions regarding their relationship, Mr Nyoro revealed that all was “not well” and that the fact that the Head of State, who also doubles as the Kenya Kwanza coalition leader, failed to consult him before the ouster speaks volumes.
“No one in the leadership of our coalition has ever called me to tell me what I need to change or how things should be done differently. I was also not informed about the changes before they happened. I just read it in the papers,” he stated regarding his removal as Budget Committee chairperson.
During a parliamentary session last week, Majority and Minority Leaders in the National Assembly, Kimani Ichung’wah and Junet Mohammed, criticised the MP for allegedly skewing resource distribution towards his own constituency.
The MPs told the special sitting that it was unethical for the Kiharu MP to manipulate the budget process to favour his own constituency and political allies at the expense of other regions.
“This House will not sit back and allow a handful of MPs to allocate money only to their constituencies while the rest of the country is left begging for crumbs. We were not sent here to enrich ourselves - we were sent here to serve Kenyans fairly,” Ichung’wah stated, vowing that business would not continue as usual.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah.
In response to claims that he had used his position to disproportionately allocate resources to Kiharu Constituency, Nyoro dismissed the allegations, urging an analysis of past budgets to determine how funds were distributed.
“The data is out there,” he said.
He also insisted that all the projects carried out in Kiharu Constituency were implemented during his first term as an MP.
Despite his evident frustration, Mr Nyoro emphasised that he would not engage in political confrontations.
“I do not answer evil with evil. I do not answer insults with insults,” he remarked, adding that anger and hatred are burdens no leader should carry.
He also refrained from assessing the performance of the Kenya Kwanza government in its first two years, invoking the late President Mwai Kibaki’s legacy and suggesting that leadership should be measured by long-term impact rather than political rhetoric.
“If I ask you what Kibaki told anyone in 2006, you will struggle to remember what he said. But when you walk along Thika Road, you will see it because it is there. Truth and facts speak for themselves. I am also a Kenyan, and I am out there listening to what Kenyans are saying,” he said.
The MP appeared conflicted and failed to announce his next political move, instead requesting more time to reflect.
When asked about his relationship with ousted Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, the MP said he would not discuss personalities but admitted to having reservations about some of the decisions made by the Kenya Kwanza coalition.
“I may have reservations about some decisions made, but it is not within my lane to comment on them,” he said.
Mr Nyoro was a key ally of President Ruto in the lead-up to the 2022 elections. He played a central role in President Ruto’s rallies, particularly in the Mount Kenya region, where he rallied locals behind the Head of State.
At the time, Nyoro’s stance was seen as defying former President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga, a move some perceived as a threat to Ruto’s succession plans. However, he disappeared from the political limelight during the Gen-Z protests in July last year. He also abstained from the impeachment process of Mr Gachagua.
jmoturi@ke.nationmedia.com
