As Americans handed Donald Trump's Republicans a bruising night at the polls, Ndindi Nyoro saw a lesson for Kenya, and a warning for the man he once campaigned for.

The Kiharu MP and People's Party of Kenya (PPK) leader said on Thursday that the US midterm election results showed voters are ready to use the ballot to punish leaders when the economy hurts, and that President William Ruto could face the same verdict in August 2027.

Nyoro spoke at the PPK headquarters as he received new aspirants and delegations from several counties, Capital FM reported. The remarks were also carried by Dawan Africa.

'Lessons for Kenya'

Nyoro pointed to Democratic wins in key contests, including in areas that had previously backed Trump, saying the shift offered lessons to Kenya's leadership.

He said Kenyan voters could similarly use the 2027 election to demand change, and listed the issues he believes will decide the contest:

  • rising public debt
  • unemployment
  • the high cost of living, including the cost of building materials

He argued that the government's handling of the cost-of-living crisis would be at the centre of Ruto's re-election bid, and that the ballot remained the ultimate tool through which Kenyans could approve or reject the administration's record.

Claims about business interests

The former ally of the President went further, accusing Ruto of using public resources and national assets to advance private business interests. He cited the cement and tiles industries, claiming that the President's business interests in the construction sector were contributing to high building costs for ordinary Kenyans. He also questioned the government-to-government petroleum import deal and the development of oil resources in Turkana.

These are Nyoro's allegations, and the reports do not say he presented documents to back them. Ruto has consistently defended his economic record, pointing to investments in infrastructure, affordable housing and agriculture as drivers of growth and jobs.

Where Nyoro stands

Nyoro was one of Ruto's key mobilisers in Mt Kenya during the 2022 campaign before falling out with the ruling United Democratic Alliance. He now leads PPK and has positioned it within the wider opposition, which is still wrestling over who should be its presidential flagbearer.

In recent weeks he has called for the opposition to unite behind one candidate and has publicly challenged DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua's numbers-first approach to the 2027 race. His latest comments suggest he wants the economy, rather than personalities, to be the centre of the opposition's pitch.

Photos: Capital FM; The Star. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.