Nyoro ouster could be a wider scheme for the 'mountain'

Kenya’s political stage thrives on drama, but the recent spotlight on Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, the former Budget Committee chairman, hints at something far more deliberate. Behind the scenes, I see a well calculated strategy.

Nyoro has been a known performer and his prudent management of NGCDF is an open book which has seen his colleagues troop to Kiharu for a lesson or two. The sudden criticism of his role thus feels more like choreography. The goal? To position him as a counterforce to Rigathi Gachagua’s influence in Mt Kenya, a region whose unity  propelled the current government to power but now seems to be considering other options.

Mt Kenya’s political clout has always been its cohesion. President Ruto rode this wave to victory in 2022, but the tides are shifting. Economic grievances and a sense of betrayal simmer beneath the surface. A united block here could upend any aspirant’s ambitions, making it a threat rather than an asset to Ruto. The solution? Fracture the numbers.

That is where Nyoro comes in. He is ostensibly under fire but whose visibility grows with each orchestrated critique. By painting him as a man battling the system, Ruto’s camp may be intentionally crafting a hero narrative for Nyoro. It is hard to believe that President Ruto has actually fallen out of favour with Nyoro. First, there is no good reason because Nyoro has been quite measured. More importantly history has shown that it would be a risky gamble. The messy impeachment of former DP Gachagua exposed the danger of ‘touching the mountain’. Repeating such tactics with Nyoro could backfire. Why stoke fresh animosity unless fragmentation is the endgame? Creating rival factions—a “second force” in Mt Kenya, perhaps even a “third” in the presidential race—would scatter votes, diluting the region’s kingmaker power. The boldest twist may lie in whispers of the unlikely partnership. Ruto and Raila Odinga, long cast as political foes, are rumoured to be working towards something stronger than their current cooperation. A coalition, overt or covert, aims at merging Ruto’s Rift Valley base with Raila’s Western stronghold, exploiting Mt Kenya’s fractures. For Ruto, it’s a lifeline to offset waning influence in the mountain; for Raila, a quest for ODM’s survival.  

Yet Kenya’s electorate is no stranger to theatrics. Voters, weary of rising costs and unkept promises, may see through the smoke and mirrors. The danger isn’t in the complexity of these maneuvers but in their simplicity—divide, conquer, and consolidate. Mt Kenya’s strength has always been its unity; its splintering would rewrite the nation’s political map. But history shows public outrage over bread-and-butter issues can eclipse even the craftiest schemes.  

As 2027 looms, the success of this scheme rests on one question: Will Mt Kenya cling to solidarity or fracture under pressure? The game is fluid, the stakes high. For ordinary Kenyans, the task is to stay alert, demand substance over spectacle, and remember that in this chess match, they hold the power to checkmate the players. Eternal vigilance is the ultimate defence against manipulation.

-nyagwokamike@gmail.com