Ndindi Nyoro fights back claims linking him to the ruling party
National
By
Irene Githinji
| Aug 25, 2026
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has added his voice on the growing political realignment in Mt Kenya, openly acknowledging the political tightrope he now walks as he distances himself from his former allies in the ruling party.
In a candid interview, Nyoro admitted that his previous close ties with President William Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza administration have left him vulnerable to suspicion from both sides of the political divide but insisted his decision to abandon the ruling party, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) was deliberate, difficult, and necessary.
Nyoro said he will work with other opposition partners to agree on a common candidate to run for the presidency but did not expressly declare his intent, saying a comprehensive conversation must be held before that decision is taken.
He, however, did not rule out the possibility to run for president, insisting on his capability to lead the country and how he would implement major reforms within a short period.
“For now, I want to drive PPK to grow; I have decided to work for the country. I’m not saying it directly whether I will run for president because someone does not become president only by saying but various issues are involved, for instance, working as a team to make that decision,” he said in an interview yesterday.
“The first decision to make is to come together and strategise so that we can beat Ruto next year in the first round. We need to have a clear mind and strategize so that we don’t waste time like it happened with Kenya Kwanza... Ruto seemed not ready. We lost the first two years with a lot of ‘trial and error’ and that is what we want to avoid,” Nyoro added.
He regretted the current status of education, security, health and economy, which require a complete overhaul, even as they agree on the best candidate to rival Ruto next year.
“We first need to agree on things we want to achieve; the decision should be taken as a team to avoid confusing the country. It is deliberate for me not declaring at the moment but even if you were to give me that seat tomorrow, I know where I would start to make changes...Three months would not end before I start implementing free education, reforming the health sector and though some decisions are guided by the laws, others are about immediate Executive directives,” he said.
He added: “There are many people who are qualified but the opposition should talk and know which team can lead the nation at its best. If we sit and agree that Nyoro is able, I am ready... if it is Kalonzo Musyoka, we support him, or Fred Matiang’i or Rigathi Gachagua.”
He also said that he met with party leaders of all opposition parties, which allowed him to analyse and decide on which party to join.
Nyoro insisted that the party is being accepted across the country and those joining are adding strength to the opposition.
And contrary to reports, he said PPK is not a new party as has been portrayed but is much older than United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and other Mt Kenya parties, since it was started in 1996.
He also said his journey to join the party started in 2024 because he had seen the ‘smoke’ in the Kenya Kwanza Government.
“When I was making this decision, I consulted widely and many told me I would be accused of being a mole. I made a decision knowing I would be misunderstood both ways; in the opposition, I knew there would be someone who would misinterpret,” he said
“From the government side, a leader called me and told me they were told to send congratulatory messages as a strategy to hold me back and sow doubt. I knew I was going to walk on a tightrope; I made a decision knowing that it was one of the most difficult but the best.”
Nyoro’s decision has generated debate in Mt Kenya, as different political formations seek to consolidate support in the region ahead of next year’s poll.
Already, he has embarked on political mobilisation activities, including holding public rallies, even as he presents himself as an opposition partner.
While responding to questions over his whereabouts during the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua, Nyoro said that his conscience would not have allowed him to vote to impeach the then Deputy President over what he described as “strong friendship during the campaign season.”
He also spoke of the process to pick the Deputy President saying that 28 of Mt Kenya leaders chose Kithure Kindiki and five others, including him, were for Gachagua.
“It came to a point that Ruto had to make a decision. He did his calculations and decided that if he let Gachagua and I go, his basket would be a challenge; he then declared Gachagua as his running mate. With that, some leaders even stopped going to rallies,” he explained.
When impeachment came, he recounted that it was also the same time that the President left for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), even as he left people to collect signatures.
“While there, he discovered I had not signed and called me from UNGA but my conscience was pushing me not to get involved. He came back and I went to see him; I told him my conscience would not allow it,” he explained.
According to Nyoro, the President asked him not to vote for Gachagua's impeachment but agree to sign the document in addition to requesting him to speak to Muranga leaders because they had refused to sign.
But he did not agree to participate in the impeachment and it was the last time they spoke with the President on the matter.