Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro’s decision to bolt out of President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and take over the People’s Party of Kenya (PPK) has triggered a fresh contest in Mt Kenya. This threatens to disrupt long-standing alliances and intensify the battle for the region’s spokesperson ahead of the 2027 General Election.

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 as former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) proposes, or allow multiple leaders and parties to compete before negotiating a broader coalition.

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

Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako Mwakuwona (left), Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro (centre) and Siaya Governor James Orengo at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, on August 17, 2026 during a press briefing by Nyoro.

Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group

All three leaders are associated with various opposition formations, with Mr Orengo linked to the Linda Mwananchi movement led by former Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna.

Read: Nyoro’s break with Ruto redraws 2027 opposition map

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 in preparation for the polls.

But the biggest tremor is being felt in Mt Kenya, where Mr Gachagua has been positioning 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. Mr Nyoro’s emergence threatens that strategy.

DCP leaders have responded sharply, with Nyandarua Senator John Methu describing PPK as a “green wheelbarrow” — a reference to the colour associated with Mr Nyoro’s party, and an apparent attempt to portray it as another project designed to divide Mt Kenya voters.

The wheelbarrow label has particular political baggage. In September 2025, while touring Murang’a, Mr Gachagua accused Mr Nyoro of being a government project and alleged that President Ruto had encouraged young politicians to establish a “wheelbarrow” party through which government allies could present themselves as opposition figures.

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro addressing journalists at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, on August 17, 2026.

Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation

Mr Nyoro has rejected the claims. He has emphatically stated that after leaving UDA, “the wheelbarrow had been abandoned”.

However, the label has followed him into the opposition, highlighting the challenges he faces as he attempts to reposition himself in a highly polarised political environment.

Political analyst Javas Bigambo says the attacks on Mr Nyoro raise a fundamental question about political rights and competition.

Read: What is MP Ndindi Nyoro up to?

“Ndindi Nyoro, as a Kenyan, is sheltered by the enjoyment of political rights in Article 38 of the Constitution,” Mr Bigambo told Nation, arguing that no individual should be prevented from exercising those rights simply because his ambitions threaten an established formation.

He said the hostility towards Mr Nyoro reflects a broader attempt to control the Mt Kenya political space.

“He is his own man,” Mr Bigambo said, describing the Kiharu MP as a politician with “capabilities and sizeable following”.

He argued that Mr Gachagua and his allies appear determined to exercise “absolute control of Mt Kenya”, yet no individual has a “paternalistic right” to control an entire region.

“Any Kenyan can run for any office,” he said.

The stakes are particularly high because Mr Nyoro’s ambitions are no longer being viewed merely through the lens of his departure from UDA.

Political analyst Dismas Mokua says Mr Nyoro has the potential to position himself for the presidency, while Mr Gachagua faces a legal hurdle over his eligibility following his impeachment as Deputy President.

“This is the cause for the hostility against Nyoro by DCP simply because he is likely to benefit from Mt Kenya supporters who need a homegrown candidate,” Mr Mokua said.

If PPK establishes itself in the region, DCP’s claim to be the main vehicle through which Mt Kenya negotiates with the rest of the opposition could be weakened.

Mr Mokua says that the claims that Mr Nyoro is secretly working for President Ruto serve two purposes. Firstly, his critics want to undermine his credibility among voters who oppose the president. Secondly, they want to reinforce the argument that Mt Kenya should be consolidated under Mr Gachagua’s leadership.

Once again, Mr Nyoro’s ambitions have raised an age-old question in Mt Kenya politics: Can a politician enjoy national success by pursuing an independent path rather than seeking endorsement from political networks?

At 40, the Kiharu MP has emerged as one of the region’s most prominent young politicians.

While his supporters view his departure from UDA as a sign of political independence, his critics question whether he is truly opposed to President Ruto or merely preparing for a different political future.

Mt Nyoro’s ambitions have triggered intense speculation about the circumstances surrounding his departure from the Kenya Kwanza camp.

A top Ruto loyalist, who spoke to Nation on condition of anonymity, claimed Mr Nyoro became distant from the president after Prof Kithure Kindiki was appointed DP following Mr Gachagua’s impeachment in 2024.

Read: Ndindi Nyoro’s mighty leap of faith as he ditches UDA for People's Party of Kenya

“He wanted to be the DP after the Gachagua impeachment. When the president picked Prof Kindiki, he was not happy,” the source said.

Mr Nyoro has dismissed the claims, saying he left the government because he was convinced that it had failed to deliver on its promises.

His decision has, nevertheless, prompted an unusual response from President Ruto’s allies.

Baragwi Member of County Assembly David Mathenge questioned why government supporters appear so eager to shape the narrative around Mr Nyoro’s move to the opposition.

“Why does the government seem eager to help Mr Nyoro to be accepted in the opposition? Why won’t the government let him present his case to the public? The government appears to be escorting Mr Nyoro into opposition, and acting as his spokesman. It is suspicious,” Mr Mathenge said.

The shift seems to have “hit the reset button” on politics in Murang’a, with some of Mr Nyoro’s former allies going unusually quiet.

In 2024, Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu, Gatanga MP Edward Muriu and Kandara MP Chege Njuguna were among the leaders who warned President Ruto that he risked losing Mt Kenya support in 2027 if he did not appoint Mr Nyoro as his running mate. Three months after making the remarks, Mr Gachagua was impeached. Mr Nyoro’s shift now raises questions about what happens to that network and whether the politicians, who once backed his elevation, will follow him into his new political arrangement.

Read: Defection tricks: Inside the scramble for political homes ahead of 2027

Political analyst Kamau Kang’ethe says various regions are likely to demand greater representation in the national leadership, and so should Murang’a.

“It is time for Murang’a to produce a ‘big man’ in the country’s leadership. Time is ripe,” he said.

However, elders from the Mt Kenya region are wary of competing ambitions, as they could fracture the Mountain.

Kikuyu Council of Elders chairman Wachira Kiago said Mr Nyoro has a democratic right to pursue his ambitions, but must be alive to the implications.

“The first parents of the Agikuyu community, Gikuyu and Mumbi, had a home in Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga in Kiharu Constituency, Murang’a. We can belong to different formations, but remain united in pursuit of our collective interests,” he said.

However, from the outset, Mr Nyoro had his sights set on something bigger than Mt Kenya. His new party has attracted interest from across the opposition.

During the launch, Governor Orengo “welcomed Mr Nyoro into the opposition trenches”.

“I look forward to working with you, Ndindi Nyoro,” he said.

Mr Orengo’s appearance alongside Mr Nyoro is, therefore, significant, given his association with Linda Mwananchi.

Advocate Chris Omore says people should not interpret this as his endorsement of PPK as the preferred opposition vehicle.

“Rather than an endorsement of PPK as his preferred political vehicle, it can be read as Orengo keeping the door open to any politician who declares opposition to Ruto,” he said.

For his part, MP Mwashako praised Mr Nyoro “for taking a bold political decision”. He said that he attended the launch to deliver a message from Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

And Mr Omogeni said that he represented the people of Nyamira and Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i during the launch, and called for unity among opposition leaders.

Meanwhile, Mr Nyoro says he would work with Mr Gachagua, Dr Matiang’i, Mr Musyoka and Mr Sifuna to remove President Ruto from power.

“We will all walk together and liberate Kenya. If it is Ndindi Nyoro who will be the opposition flag bearer, be sure I will send Ruto home. And if it is any other of the opposition leaders, I will support him/her,” he said during a political meeting in Mukuyu, Murang’a.

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Additional reporting by Gitonga Marete