The political contest between Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro and allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has drawn a fresh interpretation from former trade diplomat Mukhisa Kituyi, who says the fight may be about more than President William Ruto’s 2027 re-election bid.
Kituyi, speaking on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, questioned the reason behind the growing criticism of Nyoro, saying the answer could depend on the Kiharu MP’s actual political position and the side he intends to support ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He said if Nyoro was acting as a political decoy for Ruto, then his actions should point towards supporting the President’s re-election campaign.
“If Nyoro is a Ruto decoy, he should be campaigning for Ruto,” Kituyi said.
However, Kituyi said the situation would take a different meaning if Nyoro was opposed to Ruto and had committed to backing a joint opposition presidential candidate.
“But if he is attacking Ruto and committing to support the joint opposition presidential candidate, some of the vitriol against him might have much more to do with territorial control than the fight against Ruto,” Kituyi said.
Kituyi’s comments come amid an increasingly open disagreement between Nyoro and politicians linked to Gachagua, with the two sides exchanging sharp political statements.
Nyoro recently challenged Gachagua to confront him personally instead of relying on his allies to attack him.
At the People’s Party headquarters on Monday, September 7, 2026, Nyoro referred to his past relationship with Gachagua without directly naming the former Deputy President.
He said he had supported Gachagua when he sought to become Ruto’s running mate in 2022 and also recalled that he stayed out of the 2024 impeachment process against Gachagua despite their political differences at the time.
“Mention the People’s Party by name and mention Ndindi Nyoro. I will meet with you face to face,” Nyoro said.
The Kiharu MP also called on Gachagua to directly identify the People’s Party instead of making indirect references to the party and its leaders.
Nyoro said his decision to support Gachagua during the 2022 running-mate contest should not be taken as evidence that he fears the former Deputy President.
The disagreement has largely focused on the growing political differences between the People’s Party and leaders supporting Gachagua.
Nyoro has further rejected allegations that he was given Sh200 million to weaken Gachagua’s Democracy for Citizens Party in the Mt Kenya region.
He said the People’s Party was prepared to cooperate with opposition leaders who were willing to work together, adding that those who did not want such cooperation should be left alone.
The remarks have added to the political debate surrounding Nyoro’s position, with Kituyi suggesting that the attacks against the MP could also be linked to a struggle over political territory, depending on where Nyoro stands in the contest involving Ruto and the opposition.