Just one week after Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro was abruptly stripped of his influential position as Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, expectations ran high for a dramatic confrontation with President William Ruto’s administration at his scheduled press conference on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. The media and political analysts had anticipated a significant moment—perhaps an exposé of Ruto’s tight control over Kenya Kwanza’s budget-making process or a bold realignment within the ruling coalition.
Instead, what unfolded was a carefully scripted and uneventful handover ceremony, leaving journalists and observers disillusioned. Nyoro’s address, far from targeting the forces behind his ouster, was strikingly restrained, lacking the explosive revelations many had hoped for. For a figure long regarded as a rising star in Mount Kenya politics, this apparent retreat has been widely interpreted as an act of political timidity.
Sources close to the matter suggest that behind closed doors, there was an expectation that Nyoro would seize the opportunity to challenge Ruto’s increasingly authoritarian hold over the coalition, particularly on budgetary decisions that have disproportionately benefited the President’s inner circle. Yet, Nyoro limited himself to a feeble defence against accusations of funnelling excessive funds to his Kiharu constituency—a response that only deepened perceptions of his reluctance to directly confront Ruto.
Speculation had mounted that Nyoro might break ranks with the President and align himself with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has faced growing isolation within the Kenya Kwanza government. However, rather than making a definitive move, Nyoro remained elusive, sidestepping questions about his strained relationship with Ruto despite persistent probing from journalists. His silence was especially notable given his absence during Gachagua’s impeachment debates, where he neither declared his position nor cast a vote.
Is Nyoro playing a long-term game, or is he immobilized by fear of Ruto’s well-known reprisals? Critics contend that he is acutely aware of the perils of defying the President—consequences that could include relentless investigations, fabricated corruption charges, and orchestrated political disgrace. Kenya’s political landscape is littered with examples of leaders who, after falling out of favour, became targets of state machinery designed to dismantle their influence.
With the 2027 elections looming, Nyoro’s hesitation to take a stand raises critical questions. Is he patiently awaiting the opportune moment to assert himself as a key player in Mount Kenya’s political future? Or has he opted for the path of least resistance, unwilling to jeopardize his career by challenging a leader who casts an increasingly dominant shadow?
For now, Nyoro remains an enigma. Some hail him as a shrewd tactician with an acute sense of timing, while others deride him as a spineless politician unwilling to defend his region’s interests. His next steps will determine whether he rises as a formidable force in Kenyan politics or fades into obscurity, eclipsed by Ruto’s expanding dominance.
