"We knew it was coming": Methu claims Nyoro's new party is funded by Ruto
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- Senator John Methu addressed a gathering in Wamunyoro, Nyeri, targeting Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro's recent party alignment
- Methu claimed President William Ruto is deliberately sponsoring new political parties to fragment the Mt. Kenya vote ahead of the 2027 General Election
- The senator warned Ruto that attempts to divide the mountain region would fail, citing an 86% vote share secured in Ol Kalou despite nine competing parties
Nyandarua senator John Methu has publicly accused President William Ruto of bankrolling Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro's alignment with the People's Party of Kenya, framing the move as a calculated strategy to splinter the Mt. Kenya political bloc ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Methu made the remarks on Tuesday, August 18, while addressing an indoor gathering in Wamunyoro, Nyeri.
Methu's "wheelbarrow" warning
The senator repeatedly used the term "wheelbarrow" as a derisive label for what he described as Ruto-sponsored satellite parties being registered in rapid succession across the Mt. Kenya region.
He claimed the registrar of political parties was working around the clock to process these formations, while established opposition outfits faced prolonged delays.
"We were waiting for it because we had been told that there's a wheelbarrow that is coming from Murang'a. We knew that it was coming," Methu said, in an apparent reference to Nyoro's newly announced affiliation.
He went further, alleging prior intelligence of additional party formations in the pipeline.
He stated: "We know there's another wheelbarrow that is being prepared in Laikipia. We know there's another wheelbarrow that is being prepared from Nakuru and many other wheelbarrows that are coming...I hear that the registrar is sleeping at the office trying to register these wheelbarrows. Many of them will be registered because it's not very difficult. But we shall name them," he added.
Methu argued that the next phase of the strategy would involve introducing surrogate presidential candidates from the region to dilute support for a single community leader.
"I want to give you very bad news, William Ruto. Once bitten, twice shy... All wheelbarrows will be dealt with the same," he said, addressing the president directly.
Mt. Kenya unity claims
Pointing to the Ol Kalou Constituency by-election as evidence of the bloc's resilience, Methu said the community had withstood similar fragmentation attempts before.
"There were 9 political parties in Ol Kalou, but the people of Ol Kalou voted for their party of choice, 86%," he stated.
He maintained that Ruto's maneuvers were a response to the growing consolidation of Mt. Kenya behind a single political vehicle and leader and accused the president of trying to reverse that unity, stating, "He has now decided that to cut down this community to size, he thinks that he can take us the direction of 1992."
The senator also expressed frustration at what he described as obstacles placed before opposition-aligned parties seeking registration, contrasting those delays with the speed at which newer, pro-government formations were being processed.
Nyoro's alignment with the People's Party of Keny has drawn swift and pointed criticism from figures within the opposition's regional structures.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.