By Anderson Ojwang
Last Thursday’s Finance Bill vote, where 187 members of Parliament skipped, could herald a new chapter in the country’s political landscape.
Already, the 40 MPs who voted against the bill have gained the tag of heroes from a section of the opposition leaders and members of the public.
For those who skipped, they have been termed not only fence-sitters but sell-outs when Kenyans needed them.
But the Finance Bill vote could be having a serious political ripple effect in Mt Kenya and the country.
For Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, once viewed as a potential future leader for Mt Kenya and the country, today finds himself on the cross with a butcher’s knife on his throat.
Nyoro currently has the butcher’s knife on his throat over skipping the vote and faces a test moment over political perception.
History
Kiharu constituency has always remained a constant in Kenya’s political dispensation in the change struggle.
Murang’a County occupies a space in the annals of history in Kenya’s political fight for change.
Kiharu is the home of former opposition leader, the late Kenneth Stanley Njindo Matiba.
Matiba, former Prime Minister the late Raila Odinga, and veteran politician the late Charles Rubia were all detained for political struggle.
Heir
The emergence of the incumbent Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro ushered in a new hope of a heir apparent and one who could fit into the shoes of the former opposition leader.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, before his impeachment, had said Nyoro was destined for the country’s leadership and he was mentoring him.
“Ndindi Nyoro is my great friend. He is one of our great young leaders I am mentoring, and I will continue to mentor him. He carries himself as a future leader. He knows what he is doing,” he said then.
From various quarters, Ndindi was receiving positive mentions not only as a possible Mt Kenya leader but also a possible future president.
Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria also affirmed Ndindi’s possibility of being president, saying: “Keep your focus, and one day you will finish the journey that brave Matiba did not finish but the late President Mwai Kibaki accomplished.”
The slaughter
And when the stars were beginning to glitter and shine brightly, with expectations and belief developing, Ndindi of “We are African and Africa is our Business” went missing from action at the defining hour.
The moment was during the Finance Bill debate in Parliament.
Kenyans waited to witness how the MPs would come out to vote on the Finance Bill at the National Assembly.
Gachagua had posted on his social media platforms, saying: “Today’s vote at the National Assembly for or against the 2026 Finance Bill is a defining moment for the people of the Republic of Kenya. At the end of the day, the people of Kenya will know whether their elected representative supports measures that oppress them more or cares for them.”
Gachagua had directed MPs from Mt Kenya allied to his DCP party to vote against the Finance Bill 2026 and stay in the House to force a division.
“The people of Kenya must know who was for or against them. Those members who keep away from the vote and sit on the fence must be deemed to be against the people of Kenya,” he said.
He said there was no neutral position when the welfare of the people of Kenya was at stake, and the MPs were either for the people of Kenya or against them.
Skipped
As fate would have it, Ndindi disappointed. He was never there to make the verdict.
Instead, he chose to be out of the country on the eve of the voting and joined the long list of the 187 MPs who skipped the voting, and now the heat has been turned on him.
He wrote on his social media platforms, firstly seeking peace and requesting room to be understood.
“Wadosi Wakenya Wote, I come in peace and humility. The vote for the Finance Bill happened yesterday; disappointingly, I was not in Parliament. I travelled out of the country on Wednesday evening for engagements that could not have been postponed. But no explanation should absolve the blame,” he wrote.
He said the feedback would be a milestone in helping serve the country and that nobody was perfect.
“As human as we are, we are far from being perfect, and we will always seek to learn from the feedback we receive. As for the feedback we have received from all Kenyans, we take it with humility. All the feedback will go a long way in making us better as we discharge our duties in Parliament and outside in service to the great people of Kenya,” he wrote.
Fireworks
Gachagua, after his impeachment, had changed the narrative and often claimed that Ndindi was President William Ruto’s mole.
He said the MPs from Mt Kenya who skipped the vote wanted to please President Ruto and not the people.
“There was no neutral position on this matter. You are either with Ruto or the people. There were two sets of MPs from the Mt Kenya region: those who did not go against the people and the allies of Ruto,” he said.
He said there was no middle ground on the Finance Bill, and those from Mt Kenya who failed to act have been declared enemies of the people.
Stay strong
Kuria, in a post on his social media platforms, asked Ndindi to remain focused and not fall to Gachagua’s butcher’s knife.
“To my brother Ndindi Nyoro, now the self-righteous cult has come with their daggers drawn for you. They say you let them down on the Finance Bill. They now want to extinguish your political career,” he wrote.
Kuria said on several occasions he had warned Ndindi to be wary of Gachagua’s schemes to be the sole political leader in Mt Kenya.
“I have warned you many times that Rigathi Gachagua will not rest until he extinguishes all other political actors in the Mt Kenya region. Relax, brother, you and I will not be the losers; sadly, it is our people. Keep your focus, and one day you will finish the journey that brave Matiba did not finish but General Mwai Kibaki accomplished,” he wrote.
Heroes
Gachagua termed the 40 MPs who voted against the Finance Bill as heroes and said history will judge them well.
“History will remember the 40 Honourable Members of the National Assembly who on Thursday 18th June 2026 stood with the people of Kenya. You are the true heroes of our nation who chose the 55 million Kenyans against the oppressive 2026/27 Finance Bill. That is the true representation of the people who gave you the mandate. I trust your constituents will show you kindness next year on the 10th of August,” he wrote.
Spotlight
Ndindi is now in the spotlight, and Kenyans will be watching keenly his next political move.
Will it be a change in his philosophy of “We are African and Africa is our Business” to “Kenya’s business”?
