President William Ruto has no shortage of political moles buried deep within the Mt. Kenya region, and Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro has just revealed himself to be one of the most prominent among them.
Nyoro, who had spent weeks positioning himself as a fierce and vocal opponent of the Finance Bill 2026, turned around and betrayed his own constituents when it mattered most, abstaining from the vote on the controversial bill in Parliament on Thursday. For a man who had been appearing at every available public forum loudly condemning a bill that would overtax ordinary Kenyans and strangle businesses across the country, choosing to sit on the fence at the moment of truth speaks volumes about where his real loyalties lie.
Kenya’s Parliament has 349 Members of Parliament. When the votes were counted, only 40 MPs dared to vote against the bill. A mere 122 voted in favour, but the most damning number of all was the 187 MPs who chose to abstain, Nyoro firmly among them. Abstaining on a bill of this magnitude, one that directly affects the cost of living, business survival, and the financial well-being of millions of Kenyans, is not a neutral act. It is a quiet yes dressed up as indecision.
Kenyans on social media have reacted with fury towards the 187 MPs who chose the safety of the fence over the welfare of the people who elected them. The message from the public has been clear and unsparing: come 2027, those MPs must be shown the door without hesitation, having proved beyond doubt that they cannot be trusted to stand with suffering Kenyans when it counts.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua struck a different tone on Friday, choosing to celebrate the 40 MPs who voted no, describing them as heroes who chose to stand with millions of Kenyans drowning under a punishing cost of living, rampant corruption by government officials, and a system so choked with bureaucracy that honest citizens can barely breathe.
40 out of 349. That number tells you everything you need to know about the state of Kenya’s Parliament today.
