Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro has formed a new political party ahead of the 2027 presidential election, signalling his intention to throw his hat in the ring and challenge President William Ruto for the country’s top seat.
Nyoro, who has been walking a careful and deliberate line between the government and the opposition for some time now, has registered the People’s Party of Kenya and those close to him say it is only a matter of time before the party is officially launched.
Sources within his inner circle say he intends to use the party as a vehicle to take on Ruto, whom he holds responsible for wrecking the economy during his four years in power.
However, not everyone in the opposition is convinced by Nyoro’s new political adventure. Allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have been quick to pour cold water on the move, dismissing the registration of the People’s Party of Kenya as nothing more than a scheme orchestrated by Ruto himself to split the Mt Kenya vote and weaken the united opposition ahead of next year’s general election. In their view, Nyoro is Ruto’s mole, and his new party is simply an extension of the ruling United Democratic Alliance(UDA) dressed up in different colours.
The suspicion is not without basis. Having largely lost the confidence of Mt Kenya, a region central to his victory in August 2022, Ruto is understood to be exploring every available strategy to claw back support there before 2027. Fragmenting the opposition vote in the region by propping up alternative candidates is one of the oldest tricks in the political playbook.
“Without Mt Kenya, Ruto knows he is minced meat, and Nyoro is among his plans to divide that behemoth vote,” said one Gachagua ally who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Whether Nyoro is a genuine presidential challenger or a convenient tool in Ruto’s survival strategy, the answer will become much clearer in the months ahead.
