MP Ndindi Nyoro, first to hound DP Rigathi Gachagua, goes quiet

For a long time in Mt Kenya, Mr Nyoro was largely perceived as Mr Gachagua's political arch nemesis. Even now, there is speculation from State House mandarins that he might be part of President William Ruto's equation should Mr Gachagua be deposed.

Though silent and currently out of the country, Mr Nyoro's name is among those said to be in the running for Deputy President should the plot against Mr Gachagua succeed.

Mr Nyoro went silent after Gen Z protests commenced on June 25, 2024, which later led to the formation of the current broad based government by President Ruto.

Seen as a tactical silence since Mt Kenya started sulking immediately Mr Raila Odinga's men were brought into government, it was not lost to pundits that Mr Nyoro had previously opposed the national dialogue committee that was seen as a prelude to the rapprochement between President Ruto and Mr Odinga.

The Kiharu MP has so far remained guarded regarding the appointment of Mr Odinga's allies into Cabinet, the Gen Z protests as well as about political upheavals currently swirling around the Deputy President.

Nyoro's rise

The rise of Mr Nyoro in the Mt Kenya political circuit commenced almost immediately after President Ruto was sworn in. Assembling 'the face of Kenya' in Kiharu Constituency on February 15, 2023, he was praised as central figure to unify Mt Kenya in the aftermath of the divisive 2022 elections.

During an education subsidy programme for Kiharu's needy students, politicians who accompanied Mr Nyoro praised him as the preferred successor to President Ruto, suggesting that Mr Gachagua was not favoured.

Politicians from the President's backyard made it clear that Mr Gachagua was not at all featuring in the succession plan of the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) where he is deputy party leader.

For instance, at the time, Nandi Women Representative Cynthia Muge caused a stir when she said that "when the President wants to mobilise us, he does so through Mr Nyoro", conspicuously bypassing Mr Gachagua.

Ms Muge announced: "When we want to get State House network we do so through Mr Nyoro...and since you Kiharu people are known to be political sharpshooters, we know you will not miss the target that is right here with us".

'Avoiding' DP Gachagua's functions

In the meeting, Nandi Senator Samson Cheraregei declared that "Mr Nyoro is a well known brain that was critical in Dr Ruto's win...we acknowledge that and we categorise him as a politician of great promise".

Since the inauguration of President Ruto, from the word go, Mr Nyoro avoided attending functions presided by Mr Gachagua. The two would only meet at events that had the president as the chief guest.

In the run up to the 2022 elections, Mr Gachagua wasn’t the top pick for running mate to Dr Ruto, the UDA presidential candidate. But he battled his way to securing the position, for which then Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki (now Interior Cabinet Secretary) was reportedly the preferred candidate.   

Instructively, the recent campaign to weaken the Deputy President's influence in Mt Kenya began with well-choreographed endorsements of Prof Kindiki by some of the region's MPs. They declared him their link to President Ruto's administration. 

Read: How Gachagua-Kindiki rivalry mirrors Ruto-Matiang’i feud

'Unpopular' choice revisited?

In the lead up to the 2022 elections, Dr Ruto was reported to have weighed the implications of Mr Gachagua walking out on him at that critical moment and submitted. That now is being cited as the genesis of National Assembly Majority Leader Mr Kimani Ichung'wa accusing the second-in-command of systematic blackmail.

There have long been suggestions that Dr Ruto picked Mr Gachagua against the popular choice at the time, Prof Kindiki, perhaps with an inner resolve to revisit the matter at an opportune moment.

And now after two years of shadowboxing each other, Mr Gachagua is on the chopping board.

At Mr Nyoro's bursary function last year, which was given huge prominence as a fully paid live broadcast, his entourage appeared to have planned well to portray him as a politician with eyes beyond Mt Kenya.

Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu threw the first salvo when he announced that "Mr Nyoro is the only man in Mt Kenya with the ability to unite us and be our kingpin".

Dagoretti South MP Mr John Kiarie declared "Nyoro is the brain to nurture...He is akin to our political cardinal."

"His nationally acclaimed brain should not go to waste and Kiharu will not suffer skin disease should he become the next president," Mr Kiarie added. 

Kimilili MP Mr Didmus Barasa said "we are heading somewhere...We were the team that hunted for Dr Ruto votes with Nyoro firmly playing a pivotal role nationwide and a time is coming when he shall assume his rightful position".

Meanwhile, President Ruto consistently showed his soft spot for Mr Nyoro, on many occasions introducing him as "part of our future that we must groom". Mr Gachagua was, perhaps, slow to see what lay in store for him when Mukurwe-ini MP Mr John Kaguchia (from Nyeri County) heaped praise on Mr Nyoro saying "he is a man on a trajectory and he is destined for greatness...he is our pride...a powerhouse in creativity and innovation".

A year later, the same group assembled again in Kiharu for a bursary function and where Mr Nyutu declared that "Mr Gachagua wants us to submit to him like small children." 

"It is high time Mr Nyoro now assumed the role of our kingpin and successor to Mr Gachagua soonest possible," Mr Nyutu added. 

But there was yet another dramatic twist to the unraveling mountain politics. Mr Nyoro's ardent supporters, led by Mr Nyutu, abruptly started supporting Mr Gachagua, throwing the political space in Mt Kenya into a spin.

"We have now realised that the fight against Mr Gachagua is not genuine and he means well for the mountain. We will not allow ourselves to be divided...we must unite and submit ourselves behind Mr Gachagua," Mr Nyutu told Nation.Africa on September 24, 2024, but refused to indicate whether he had the blessings of Mr Nyoro in that change of heart.

Mr Nyoro did not sign the motion to impeach the deputy president. 

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