Editor's Review

Nyoro claimed that Gachagua's rant saw him picked as running mate despite Kindiki being the favourite.

Kiharu Member of Parliament (MP) Ndindi Nyoro has insinuated that Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) Leader Rigathi Gachagua blackmailed his way into becoming President William Ruto's running mate in 2022.

Speaking on Monday, September 14, Nyoro, who said he was Gachagua's chief campaigner, claimed that in the run-up to the decision on the UDA running mate, it had come down to Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Gachagua.

He claimed that Kindiki emerged as the preferred candidate with 28 votes, against Gachagua's five. However, the DCP Leader threatened to decamp to rivals Azimio.

Nyoro claimed that Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta had approached him and took out his phone to accept the offer, since he was not given the DP slot.

"Gachagua, Ruto and I went into a room. Gachagua removed his phone, told Ruto that since he was playing games and Uhuru was looking for his support, he would rather decamp to Azimio."

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File image of Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro.

" So I told Ruto to give the running mate position because he had been with us in the trenches. I was Gachagua's chief campaigner; we had only five votes, but we won," the MP narrated.

He explained that Gachagua's dissatisfaction with the decision to pick Kindiki was that the DP had recently joined UDA after missing political action for nearly two years.

The People's Party of Kenya (PPK) Leader intimated that Kindiki also had his own demands. Before being fronted for running mate, he had his eyes on the Tharaka Nithi gubernatorial seat.

"He came and told us that he wanted to become the governor for Tharaka Nithi and needed a direct ticket. At the time, we had just enticed the first governor, Muthomi Njuki, to join UDA. We wanted to use him to show other governors that they could also join us," he reiterated.

Nyoro claimed that UDA had also considered other candidates for the running mate position, including Equity Group Holdings CEO James Mwangi and former Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, who both turned down the offer.

"We approached former Transport CS James Macharia to become our running mate, but he refused. We approached James Mwangi of Equity because we were looking at the geography and which person had not had political scandals," he explained.

The MP made his sentiments amid a strained relationship with the DCP Leader, who accuses him of receiving a payout from President Ruto to divide the Mount Kenya vote.

He wondered how the former DP could turn against him, yet he supported him during the running mate contest and his impeachment.

Nyoro vehemently denied that he was a mole in the Opposition, and called on those who wish to meet and work with Ruto in exchange for money to do so without dragging his name in the mud.