Nyoro joins opposition after year-long Talks with Gachagua, Kalonzo and Karua

NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 17 – Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro says he held nearly year-long consultations with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua and former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i before joining the opposition in a fresh political push against President William Ruto.

Nyoro disclosed as he announced that he and his supporters had joined the People’s Party of Kenya, marking a major shift for a politician who was once among Ruto’s most vocal allies and a key figure in the Kenya Kwanza campaign.

The move places Nyoro in the growing opposition camp ahead of the 2027 General Election and could position him as a significant player in negotiations over the alliance that will seek to challenge Ruto.

“As of today, I, Ndindi Nyoro, and my supporters have joined a party called the People’s Party of Kenya,” Nyoro said.

He said the decision followed extensive consultations with leaders across the emerging opposition landscape, naming Gachagua, Kalonzo, Karua, James Orengo and Peter Munya among those he had met.

“I have taken time to consult almost all the opposition leaders,” he said.

Nyoro said his engagement with Matiang’i had been particularly extensive, lasting almost a year.

“In fact, I want to confirm to you that I have had almost a year-long consultation with most of them, including nearly a whole year of consultations with Hon. Dr Fred Matiang’i,” he said.

Political Vehicle

The announcement signals Nyoro’s most significant political departure from Ruto since the fallout between the two men began to emerge.

Rather than immediately declaring a presidential bid, Nyoro presented the People’s Party as a platform that could accommodate a wider opposition movement.

He said all opposition presidential aspirants would be welcome to participate in the party’s activities, potentially opening the door for negotiations over a joint political strategy ahead of 2027.

“In all the People’s Party tours, all opposition aspirants are invited,” he said.

Nyoro said politicians who believe the government had taken enough from Kenyans were welcome to join the effort to “rebuild Kenya”.

The statement was also an invitation to opposition leaders who are separately building their own political bases, at a time when the question of who will lead the anti-Ruto campaign remains unsettled.

Political Bastion

Nyoro announced plans to take the new political message beyond his Mount Kenya base, naming Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Bomet, Elgeyo-Marakwet and Kericho among the counties he intends to visit.

The choice of the Rift Valley counties is politically significant given Nyoro’s previous role in mobilising support for Ruto in the region.

He said he would use the tours to explain to voters why he had parted ways with the administration they helped him build.

“You know the work I did when we were helping even the President who is currently in office,” he said.

“I will come and explain to you why, after we did all that work, we have reached this point. Why are we now moving away from one leader to another?”

Nyoro also appealed to communities across the country to abandon what he portrayed as regional political divisions and unite around a common national agenda.

“From the Coast, North Eastern, Nyanza, the Mount Kenya region  all of them, even those I have not mentioned  let us hold hands and rebuild Kenya,” he said.

Grassroot Machine

Beyond the presidential contest, Nyoro said the People’s Party would invest in building a grassroots political machine by identifying, training and mentoring candidates for elective positions.

He said the party would support aspirants seeking MCA, parliamentary and other elective positions, arguing that political change at the national level would require credible leadership at the grassroots.

“I will be at the forefront of offering them advice, mentorship and training so that as we recalibrate our country at the national level, we also have credible leaders in our wards, constituencies and counties,” he said.

The strategy could give Nyoro a wider political network as opposition parties begin negotiating possible alliances, while also giving him an organisational base from which to pursue higher office.

Nyoro’s announcement therefore leaves his own 2027 ambitions deliberately open. He has not formally declared that he will seek the presidency, but the nationwide mobilisation, opposition consultations and establishment of a political vehicle give him the ingredients for a presidential campaign.

His immediate task will be to translate the consultations into a political coalition capable of challenging Ruto while convincing voters in regions where he once campaigned for the President that he now offers a different political alternative.