Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro has narrated how Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) Leader Rigathi Gachagua leveraged a threat to join the rival coalition to secure his spot as President William Ruto’s running mate ahead of the 2022 General Election.
Speaking on Monday, September 14, 2026, Nyoro, who said he served as Gachagua’s chief campaigner during the selection process, revealed that internal party deliberations ultimately narrowed down to Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Gachagua.
According to Nyoro, Kindiki emerged as the preferred choice among lawmakers, securing 28 votes compared to Gachagua’s five. However, the decision took a dramatic turn when Gachagua threatened to cross over to the Azimio coalition after receiving overtures from retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“Gachagua, Ruto, and I went into a room. Gachagua removed his phone and told Ruto that since he was playing games and Uhuru was looking for his support, he would rather decamp to Azimio,” Nyoro said. “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.”
Nyoro explained that Gachagua strongly opposed Kindiki’s consideration because Kindiki had only recently joined the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) after staying out of active frontline politics for nearly two years.
The lawmaker added that Kindiki originally held different ambitions before being considered for the national ticket, having requested a direct UDA ticket to contest 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,” Nyoro recalled.
Nyoro Reveals UDA Also Approached James Mwangi as Running Mate
Nyoro also revealed that UDA had explored prominent figures outside primary politics, including Equity Group Holdings CEO James Mwangi and former Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, both of whom turned down the opportunity.
“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.
Nyoro’s remarks come amid growing political friction between him and the former deputy president. Gachagua has accused the Kiharu MP of receiving financial backing from President Ruto to split the Mount Kenya voting block.
Expressing disappointment over the accusations, Nyoro questioned how Gachagua could target him despite the key role he played in supporting Gachagua’s running mate bid and standing by him during his impeachment. Denying claims that he acts as an Opposition mole, Nyoro urged politicians seeking financial or political deals with President Ruto to pursue their ambitions without linking his name to their arrangements.
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