Allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua accuse Nyoro of being a government project, while politicians allied to President William Ruto appear to be feeding the same narrative from the opposite direction, painting him as a mole.
The competing claims have complicated Nyoro’s efforts to establish himself as an opposition politician and build his newly revived People’s Party of Kenya into a national political vehicle ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Gachagua’s allies have questioned the sincerity of Nyoro’s break with the Kenya Kwanza administration, arguing that his entry into opposition politics could fragment the anti-government vote in Mt Kenya and weaken their Democracy for Citizens Party.
Gachagua has declared DCP as the party of choice for the mountain, as his foot soldiers sustain the “One mountain, one party, one leader” clarion call.
Former PS Irungu Nyakera, who is allied to Gachagua, has accused Nyoro of working with President William Ruto to divide the Mt Kenya vote.
Speaking during an interview with Radio Maisha, Nyakera described Nyoro as “President Ruto’s mole” in the opposition, and questioned his political intentions.
“We know Ndindi Nyoro is not in opposition. And they are working with Ruto. He is aiming to divide the Mt Kenya region,” he said.
The attacks have intensified as PPK expands its political footprint. The party has recruited more than 350 aspirants across the country, with a significant concentration in Mt Kenya, including politicians seeking MCA, parliamentary and gubernatorial seats.
This expansion has put Nyoro directly into the political space Gachagua is seeking to consolidate.
While Gachagua and his allies have pushed the message of a united Mt Kenya political vehicle, Nyoro insists his party offers an alternative platform for politicians unwilling to join either DCP or other established opposition parties.
But in an intriguing twist, comments from Ruto allies have also appeared to reinforce the very allegations Nyoro is trying to shake off.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, a government-aligned politician, said: “DCP thought it had control over Mt Kenya, but now there is Ndindi Nyoro from Murang’a pushing the wheelbarrow for us.”
The conflicting messages have left Nyoro fighting a political perception battle on two fronts. The Kiharu MP is pushing to prove to the opposition that he is not working for Ruto, while simultaneously distancing himself from his former political association with the President.
Nyoro has repeatedly rejected the allegations of being a mole.
He has argued that his previous friendship and political association with Ruto is being used by opponents to undermine his new political project.
“Right now, the most effective way to mudsling someone is to affiliate them with President William Ruto,” Nyoro said, arguing that his former relationship with the President had been weaponised against him.
He has also challenged his critics to produce evidence rather than rely on political insinuations.
The Kiharu MP maintains that PPK is intended to enlarge, rather than weaken, the opposition by providing a political home for aspirants who have stayed outside existing opposition parties.
“The way I’ve been holding rallies around the country, I am still filling the opposition’s basket,” he said.
Nyoro’s repositioning follows a significant rupture with Ruto. He was previously one of the President’s prominent allies and chaired the National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee before being removed from the position.
He has linked the deterioration of his relationship with Ruto to his refusal to support the 2024 impeachment of Gachagua.
Since moving into opposition politics, Nyoro has also increasingly criticised the government, including over economic and investment issues, while calling for opposition parties to stop fighting among themselves.
Yet his attempt to carve out an independent political centre is itself fuelling suspicion.
His recent political engagement with Jubilee deputy party leader Fred Matiang’i has added another layer to the shifting Mt Kenya opposition landscape. The two have appeared together at political and public events and spoken about cooperation among opposition formations.
The emergence of another political centre in Mt Kenya represents a challenge to Gachagua’s efforts to consolidate the region around DCP. PPK’s recruitment drive has already extended into counties regarded as important to Gachagua’s political base.
Nyoro, therefore, finds himself in a peculiar political position, where the opposition suspects he may be too close to the government, while remarks from government-aligned politicians can be read as suggesting that his emergence is useful to the government.
