NAIROBI, Kenya – Celebrated journalist and media personality Lynn Ngugi has sharply criticized Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro over his absence during the National Assembly vote on the Finance Bill 2026, accusing the legislator of hypocrisy and failing to live up to the image he has cultivated as a reform-minded leader.
In a strongly worded statement shared on social media, Ngugi questioned Nyoro’s decision to miss what she described as one of the most consequential parliamentary votes affecting millions of Kenyans.
“Ndindi Nyoro is one of the most hypocritical figures in Kenyan politics. The only reason this statement exists is that Kenyans saw right past the BS,” she said.
Ngugi argued that Nyoro had spent years positioning himself as an alternative voice within government and a champion of economic accountability, making his absence during the vote difficult to justify.
“You cannot spend years cultivating the image of an alternative voice, positioning yourself as the intellectual conscience of government, then disappear when the moment of accountability arrives,” she said.
Her remarks came a day after Nyoro issued a public statement acknowledging that he was not present during the Finance Bill vote.
The MP said he had travelled outside the country for engagements that could not be postponed but admitted that “no explanation should absolve the blame.” He also said he had received public criticism with humility and would learn from the feedback.
Nyoro maintained that he had actively participated in debates surrounding both the Finance Bill and the Appropriations Bill through committee work and parliamentary discussions.
He further argued that some of his proposals, including measures aimed at reducing fuel prices, were not incorporated into the final report by the Finance Committee.
The Finance Bill 2026 was passed by the National Assembly following heated debate over a number of tax and revenue-raising measures. The legislation now awaits presidential assent before becoming law.
Ngugi, however, dismissed Nyoro’s explanation, insisting that nothing should have taken precedence over the vote.
“We are being asked to believe that there was something more important than one of the most consequential votes affecting the lives of millions of Kenyans. There wasn’t. Nothing was more important than that vote. Absolutely nothing,” she said.
The criticism adds to growing public scrutiny of MPs who were absent during the Finance Bill vote, with many Kenyans using social media platforms to demand accountability from elected leaders over their attendance and voting records.
