Ndindi Nyoro Quits UDA, Joins People’s Party of Kenya
August 2026
Kiharu Member of Parliament (MP) Ndindi Nyoro announced on Monday, August 17, 2026, that he has quit the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and joined the People’s Party of Kenya (PPK), placing himself firmly in the opposition camp ahead of the 2027 General Election. He made the declaration at a press briefing at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, where he said his supporters were moving with him into the new party. “I want to be very direct,” Nyoro told reporters, as Kenyans.co.ke reported.
The Kiharu lawmaker insisted his political break with the ruling party was not sudden. He argued that he and his allies had quietly drifted from UDA well before Monday’s formal announcement, framing the PPK launch as simply making public what had already happened behind the scenes, The Star’s report notes.
Why Nyoro Left UDA
Nyoro pointed to what he called unmet campaign promises as a driving factor behind his exit, saying his frustration with the Kenya Kwanza administration built up during a period he described as trial and error in government, Mwakilishi’s coverage adds. He told the gathering that ordinary people were struggling economically, saying “Kenyans are literally fighting for survival,” in remarks carried by the Daily Nation.
Months of Opposition Talks
Nyoro said the decision followed nearly a year of consultations across the political divide. Citizen Digital’s report lists the leaders he met as former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, ex-Cabinet Secretaries Peter Munya and Fred Matiang’i, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Siaya Governor James Orengo, per Citizen Digital. His talks with Matiang’i alone reportedly stretched close to a year before Monday’s announcement.
Reaction Splits Opposition Ranks
Not everyone in the opposition welcomed the move the same way. Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i publicly congratulated Nyoro, writing online that he looked “forward to engaging and collaborating” with PPK, a message covered in a piece for People Daily.
Democracy for Citizens Party officials took a cooler view, however. Nyandarua Senator John Methu described PPK, whose colours resemble those of Gachagua’s Democratic for Citizens Party, as a “green wheelbarrow” meant to split votes in Mt Kenya, according to a separate People Daily report. Gachagua himself had earlier cautioned his supporters against any new small party forming in Murang’a, urging the region to rally instead behind DCP as its main political vehicle.
Policy Pitch and Next Moves
Beyond the party switch, Nyoro used the launch to lay out policy proposals rather than declare a presidential run outright. He floated free secondary education starting January 2028, funded through a mix of NG-CDF money, county government contributions and national Treasury funds totalling Sh35 billion, a plan the Daily Nation says would cover roughly 9,500 senior secondary schools and 3.5 million learners nationally. He also proposed upgrading 5,000 kilometres of rural roads to bitumen standard at an estimated Sh200 billion.
Nyoro said he would tour parts of the country closely associated with President William Ruto’s political base, including Uasin Gishu, Kericho and Nandi, to explain his switch to voters there, Pulse Kenya’s coverage indicates. Political analyst Mixson Warui, cited in the Nation’s report, cautioned that Nyoro is stepping into an already crowded opposition field both in Mt Kenya and nationally, and that how he carves out space for PPK will determine whether the move pays off. With the 2027 vote now less than a year away, that question of whether PPK can find real footing, or simply adds one more name to an increasingly packed opposition lineup, looks set to shape Mt Kenya politics for months to come.
