NAIROBI, Kenya — Kiharu MP and People’s Party of Kenya (PPK) leader Ndindi Nyoro has linked his fallout with President William Ruto to his refusal to participate in the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Nyoro said his decision not to support the impeachment strained his relationship with Ruto and was followed by his removal as chairperson of the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee before he was eventually ejected from the committee.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV’s JKLive, Nyoro said he had previously been among Ruto’s closest political allies and played a prominent role in campaigning for him during the 2022 General Election.
He said he had travelled across the country to mobilise support for the Kenya Kwanza administration and believed his loyalty had not been reciprocated.
“We went around the country and campaigned in the last elections. I went to hundreds of meetings and campaigned for this government and for William Ruto. We were very close, as we were with other leaders, including the then Deputy President,” Nyoro said.
Nyoro says he refused to sign Gachagua impeachment motion
Nyoro said the relationship with Ruto began deteriorating during the impeachment process against Gachagua, when he declined to append his signature to the motion.
According to Nyoro, Ruto was in New York at the time and was contacting political allies to support the impeachment.
“The President was in New York, calling people to sign, and he realised I had not (signed). He called me and I told him, ‘Ukirudi nitakueleza.’ When he came, I told him that out of conscience, I would not get involved in the impeachment,” he stated.
Gachagua was impeached by the National Assembly in October 2024 and subsequently removed from office by the Senate after senators upheld five of the charges against him. He was succeeded as Deputy President by Kithure Kindiki.
Nyoro said his refusal to participate in the process contributed to the deterioration of his relationship with the President.
‘I got kicked out of the chairmanship’
Nyoro said the fallout was gradual rather than the result of a single confrontation with Ruto.
He said he was first removed from the powerful Budget and Appropriations Committee chairmanship before later losing his membership of the committee.
“It (the strained relationship) was more of a process. Then I got kicked out of the chairmanship and later on they ejected me from the committee. There was no single event where he told me that he wanted to make the committee changes because of this or that,” Nyoro remarked.
He also alleged that some of his former colleagues had told him Ruto viewed him as arrogant because he did not lobby to retain his position.
“Some colleagues were fighting, telling him, ‘You just removed Gachagua; you are now removing Ndindi.’ They used to report to me that he could tell them, ‘Huyo kijana ni kiburi kwa sababu haendi kubembeleza,’” he alleged.
Nyoro did not provide independent evidence during the interview to substantiate the account of what Ruto allegedly told the colleagues.
Nyoro rejects claims he is government mole
The PPK leader also dismissed claims that he is acting as a government mole within the opposition.
Nyoro said his break with the Kenya Kwanza administration had happened long ago and that his opposition activities were no longer part of an internal government strategy.
“It is crystal clear that we parted with this government a long time ago. I have been in the opposition. What I had not done is join octane politics,” Nyoro stated.
His comments come as opposition parties and political leaders continue to debate alliances and strategies ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Nyoro has increasingly positioned himself as an opposition politician while maintaining that cooperation among opposition leaders will be necessary to challenge the ruling administration.
Nyoro cites criticism of Ruto administration
To support his argument that he is genuinely in opposition, Nyoro pointed to his public criticism of the government over several issues.
He cited allegations surrounding the management and ownership of strategic national resources, including oil in Turkana, as well as what he described as political patronage.
“I have spoken about the President of Kenya being involved in the taking over of Turkana oil. Tell me how you would sit down with a person and they tell you, ‘Go tell Kenyans that I am taking over their oil,’ and then we have some funny arrangements?” Nyoro posed.
He also alleged that the country’s political leadership had been involved in the takeover of cement companies.
“I have come and raised issues around patronage and the takeover of cement companies by the leadership of this country.”
The claims about Turkana oil, patronage and cement companies are allegations made by Nyoro and were not independently established during the interview.
