NAIROBI, Kenya — Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has challenged former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to confront him directly, accusing his political allies of attacking him instead of addressing him face to face.
Nyoro said he had supported Gachagua’s political rise and backed his bid to become Deputy President in 2022, but warned that his respect should not be interpreted as fear or weakness.
Speaking at the People’s Party headquarters on Monday, September 7, 2026, Nyoro did not initially mention Gachagua by name but made clear that his remarks were directed at the former Deputy President.
He challenged Gachagua to name both him and the People’s Party directly if he had concerns about their political activities.
“Mention the People’s Party by name and mention Ndindi Nyoro. I will meet with you face to face. Mtu tangu awali kampeni zake na siasa, Ndindi Nyoro has been supporting him,” Nyoro said.
Nyoro recalls backing Gachagua in 2022
Nyoro said his support for Gachagua dated back to the 2022 General Election, when the former Mathira MP was seeking the position of Deputy President alongside President William Ruto.
He recalled that he was among four individuals considered during the running-mate selection process and said he voted for Gachagua.
“Ndindi Nyoro has supported you in everything you have done. During the running-mate selection, we were four. Ndindi Nyoro was among those people, and I voted for him, and that is how he landed the role.”
Nyoro also cited his decision not to participate in the 2024 impeachment process against Gachagua as evidence of his previous support.
He said the decision was made despite the two politicians having been on bad terms at the time.
“During the impeachment, Ndindi Nyoro never participated, and during that time we were not on good terms, and you know why,” he said.
‘My silence is not fear’
The People’s Party leader said he had deliberately maintained restraint despite what he described as continued attacks from Gachagua and his political camp.
Nyoro argued that the respect he had shown the former Deputy President over the years should not be mistaken for an inability or unwillingness to respond.
He challenged Gachagua to address him directly rather than relying on allies to criticise him.
The remarks mark a sharper turn in the increasingly public disagreement between Nyoro and politicians aligned with Gachagua’s Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP).
Nyoro rejects Sh200 million allegation
Nyoro also dismissed a claim attributed to Gachagua that he had received Sh200 million to undermine the DCP in the Mount Kenya region.
The Kiharu MP rejected the allegation and suggested that if Gachagua needed such resources, he should seek them from President Ruto rather than associate Nyoro with the alleged payment.
Nyoro did not provide evidence for the claim attributed to Gachagua, and no independent evidence establishing that Nyoro received such money was presented in his remarks.
The allegation therefore remains part of the political dispute between the two camps.
People’s Party and DCP clash intensifies
The confrontation comes amid growing rivalry between Nyoro’s People’s Party and Gachagua’s DCP as politicians position themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.
DCP leaders have accused the People’s Party of being backed by the State and of seeking to divide the Opposition vote in favour of President Ruto.
Nyoro’s camp has rejected such characterisations and maintained that the People’s Party intends to work with opposition leaders who are willing to cooperate.
The latest dispute reflects wider divisions within the Opposition as several political formations attempt to build support in Mount Kenya, a region considered crucial to the 2027 presidential contest.
DCP allies attack Nyoro’s party
The political exchange has also involved increasingly personal attacks against Nyoro and his party.
Allies of Gachagua have intensified criticism of the People’s Party, with the DCP Secretary-General designate reportedly describing the formation as a “green wheelbarrow” and an appendage of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Nyoro, however, said his party would not allow disagreements with individual opposition leaders to prevent it from working with those willing to cooperate.
He maintained that political leaders who are prepared to work together should be accommodated, while those unwilling to cooperate should be left alone.
