Nyoro to Ruto: Stop politics of distraction, focus on governance

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro addresses the media in his office at the KICC, Nairobi, on December 31, 2025. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has accused President William Ruto of deploying political foot soldiers to insult former President Uhuru Kenyatta in order to manufacture narratives and divert attention from issues affecting Kenyans.

Nyoro, once an ardent ally of Ruto and a politician who repeatedly described himself as the President’s political mentee, said that although he had been part of a team that persistently criticised Uhuru while campaigning for Ruto, he was no longer proud of that style of politics.

He urged the President to focus on service delivery and stop avoiding accountability by distracting the public.

“I was part of the last campaign when there was an obsession at every rally with attacking other leaders, especially former President Uhuru Kenyatta. Now the team we were campaigning for won. What business do we still have, rally after rally, dragging the name of a retired president into our political verbosity? We are Kenyans. I was part of that team; I was younger then and I would probably do things differently now,” Nyoro said.

In an interview, the MP claimed the government had devised deliberate schemes to evade scrutiny from Kenyans over what he termed poor policies in sectors such as education and privatisation, as well as unexplained borrowing and mismanagement of public resources. 

Nyoro cited the so-called “dead cat” theory, a political strategy associated with Australian strategist Lynton Crosby, who once advised former British prime minister Boris Johnson. The tactic involves throwing a shocking or sensational issue into public debate to distract attention when an argument is being lost.

He argued that President Ruto would not gain political support by dragging other people’s names into political theatre, reminding him that all leaders eventually retire and would wish to be treated with dignity.

At the same time, Nyoro accused the President of failing to tolerate criticism in the manner Uhuru did while serving as his deputy. He recalled how Ruto fell out with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, eventually pushing for his removal.

“We were there at that time; we did what we did to Uhuru, but he had the stamina to withstand us. When we came in, we could not withstand the same treatment we subjected Uhuru to. Now we even follow him into retirement, such that when he coughs it becomes a matter of public debate,” the MP said.

Nyoro defended his criticism of the government on various issues, claiming the administration was “unbridled” in its power and influence. He added that it had become “a monster, not just to Kenyans, but even to itself”.

Responding to National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, who accused him of hypocrisy for opposing policies he allegedly helped to design, Nyoro said his involvement gave him the authority to question them.

“Because I was part of the team that developed these policies, that gives me the authority to interrogate them, since I understand what we agreed to do for the Kenyans who elected us,” he said.

Ichung’wah has also alleged that Nyoro previously diverted budgetary allocations meant for other projects in his constituency, arguing that some leaders were now seeking political mileage by condemning practices from which they once benefited.

“There were claims of unfair budget distribution, where some MPs were allocated funds for water pans and boreholes to buy political allegiance. At offices at the KICC, some parastatal heads queued with bags of money, while agencies were denied allocations to create slush funds for political activities,” he said.