Nyoro’s break with Ruto redraws 2027 opposition map
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro addressing journalists at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, on August 17, 2026.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has moved to put himself at the centre of the campaign to unseat President William Ruto in 2027, declaring the Head of State “Kenya’s number one enemy” and promising to criss-cross the country to build a united opposition capable of defeating him.
In his first major political address since joining the Peoples’ Party of Kenya (PPK), Mr Nyoro openly positioned himself within the emerging ‘Wantam’ movement, calling on opposition leaders to bury their differences, settle on one presidential candidate and mount a single campaign against Dr Ruto.
The remarks elevate Mr Nyoro from a former Ruto ally who has recently joined the opposition camp to a potential player in the emerging Wantam coalition, as rival factions position themselves to control the political realignment in Mt Kenya and beyond ahead of the 2027 election.
The declaration places Mr Nyoro at the centre of the intensifying political realignment in Mt Kenya, where Dr Ruto is facing growing opposition and former allies are positioning themselves for the 2027 contest.
Mr Nyoro is particularly significant to the emerging battle because he was once one of Dr Ruto’s most influential allies in the region, helping build the UDA network ahead of the 2022 election and later serving as chairman of the powerful Parliamentary Budget Committee.
Now, he says he is ready to deploy the same political machinery and grassroots networks he used to campaign for Dr Ruto against the President.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro addressing journalists at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, on August 17, 2026.
“President Ruto, let me tell you that the way we criss-crossed the country campaigning for you and made the wheelbarrow party (UDA) popular, we will do the same and ensure that we paint another layer of colour on yellow. You will know the stuff we are made of,” he said.
Mr Nyoro said his decision followed a year of “soul-searching”, during which he concluded that Dr Ruto had abandoned the objectives of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
He accused the President of turning against leaders who helped him ascend to power, citing the removal of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua W other political allies as evidence of the administration’s change of direction.
The Kiharu MP said his immediate task would be to bring together a disparate opposition that includes Mr Gachagua, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, former Attorney-General Justin Muturi, former Justice Minister Martha Karua and former Defence Minister Eugene Wamalwa.
He said the opposition could not afford to repeat the divisions that have previously handed incumbent governments an advantage.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro addressing journalists at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, on August 17, 2026.
“We will all walk together and liberate Kenya. If it is Ndindi Nyoro who will be the opposition flag bearer, be sure I will send Ruto home. And if it is any other of the opposition leaders, I will support him or her. By next year we will have one candidate and ensure we win by a big margin,” he said.
Mr Nyoro went further, calling for agreement on both a presidential candidate and the running mate before the election campaign gathers momentum.
“I appeal to my opposition colleagues that we should not be selfish. Let us make sure by next year we have one candidate and the running mate to face Ruto and finish the job in round one. We don’t want to take chances in our journey to liberate Kenyans,” he said.
His latest position comes amid growing suspicion within the opposition that his new party could be used to fragment the anti-Ruto vote in Mt Kenya.
Nyandarua Senator John Methu and Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa, both allies of Mr Gachagua, on Tuesday accused Mr Nyoro of potentially serving Dr Ruto’s interests by creating another political vehicle in the region.
Mr Nyoro rejected the suggestion, saying PPK would not become a platform for attacking or undermining opposition leaders.
“For those who are used to hurling insults at Rigathi Gachagua, Kalonzo Musyoka and other opposition leaders, I will take you head-on. I will not collide with anyone in the opposition or Wantam movement,” he said.
He also warned politicians associated with attacks against opposition figures that they would not find refuge in PPK.
Mr Nyoro’s intervention now adds another powerful voice to the contest for Mt Kenya, where the political battle is increasingly shifting from whether the region will support Dr Ruto to who will inherit its support in 2027.
Follow ourWhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
