Nyoro’s 2027 gambit: National tours, new party and opposition pact

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has rolled out a nationwide political mobilisation and recruitment of aspirants as he positions himself as a major player in the 2027 matrix.

After weeks of grassroots activities in his Mt Kenya backyard, Mr Nyoro on Sunday took his anti-Kenya Kwanza messaging to Busia County, where he attended a church service at ACK Esibembe Church before holding a major political rally in Nambale town.

The youthful politician has indicated his plans to visit all parts of the country in mobilising Kenyans to deny President William Ruto a second term in office. In his nationwide tours, Mr Nyoro also seeks to establish grassroots structures for his People’s Party of Kenya (PPK).

The former National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee chairperson has been receiving defectors and 2027 aspirants to the outfit, with the party offices becoming another centre for high-profile political consultations.

He has since announced his plans to work with other opposition leaders, including former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper Patriotic Front boss Kalonzo Musyoka and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna in fronting a single presidential candidate to face Dr Ruto.

Mr Nyoro on Sunday rallied the country to shun ethnic mobilisation going into the 2027 polls. He said voters have to pick the right leaders without considering their second names.

He also condemned the rise of political violence in rallies, accusing some politicians of using goons to settle scores. He made the remarks even as the locals asked him to team up with Mr Sifuna for the presidential ticket.

“We have to end the culture of ethnic mobilisation for us to grow as a country,” said Mr Nyoro.

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He also explained how the country can realise free day secondary education. In the proposal, the MP said the country needs to create a Sh35 billion kitty to fully fund day secondary education in public schools.

The money, he said, can be pooled from existing funds. In the plan, he proposed Sh10 billion from the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), Sh10 billion from equitable share allocations to counties and Sh15 billion from the national government in coming up with the new kitty.

The MP gave the example of Masomo Bora initiative in his Kiharu constituency, where day school learners get free meals from Monday to Saturday, but pay only Sh500 per term.

Mr Nyoro’s decision to ditch the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has made him shift from being a potential successor within Dr Ruto’s camp to crafting his own political path.

“We continue to receive many leaders sitting and aspiring for various positions in the People’s Party,” he said on Friday, when he received Abdi Mahad, an aspirant for Mandera West, former Embakasi West MP George Theuri and former Murang’a Majority Leader Eric Kamande.

His political ambition, however, threatens to complicate the 2027 matrix in the populous Mt Kenya.

Although both Mr Nyoro and Mr Gachagua of Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) are pushing an anti-Ruto narrative, his entry into the presidential race creates potential competition for the region’s support and political network.

The MP is seen as part of a younger generation seeking to take over national leadership. His consistent messaging against punitive taxation, government expenditure and debt has also made him credible among voters.

Far from simply strengthening the opposition, Mr Nyoro’s move has exposed a deeper fault line within the anti-Ruto camp: whether Mt Kenya should rally behind one political vehicle or allow multiple leaders and parties to compete before negotiating a broader coalition.

The recent launch of PPK in Nairobi brought together an unlikely collection of opposition figures including Siaya Governor James Orengo, Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako and Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni.

All three are associated with different strands of the opposition, with Mr Orengo closely linked to the Linda Mwananchi movement led by former ODM secretary-general Edwin Sifuna.

Their presence at Mr Nyoro’s launch immediately raised questions about whether the new party could emerge as another pole of opposition politics, even as established formations seek to consolidate their support ahead of 2027.

But the biggest political tremor is being felt in Mt Kenya, where Mr Gachagua has been working to position DCP as the principal political home for voters opposed to President Ruto.

His message has increasingly centred on “One Mountain, One Agenda, One Party”, an approach that seeks to give the region a single political bargaining position ahead of the election.

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