On Tuesday, Dr Fred Matiang’i chose restraint, courtesy and political maturity over chest-thumping theatrics after Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro unveiled his political party in Mt Kenya, a traditional Jubilee Party turf.
In one clean message on X, the Jubilee Party flagbearer congratulated Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro after Nyoro walked out of President William Ruto’s UDA, and planted his flag in the People’s Party of Kenya (PPK).
“Congratulations, my brother and friend, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro, on the launch of the People’s Party of Kenya,” Matiang’i wrote.
Fred Matiang’i, in his message to the young and ambitious Kiharu MP, chose to sound like a man who understands that coalitions are not built by slamming doors.
He made it clear to PPK that Jubilee is open to political engagement with them, and he framed Nyoro’s move as part of a wider opposition realignment ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Nyoro’s entry into PPK, according to Matiang’i allies, is not a nuisance to be crushed, but a political development to be engaged for 2027.
That posture stands in sharp contrast to Rigathi Gachagua and his Democratic Change Party (DCP), which has taken a far more abrasive line in Mt Kenya.
Gachagua, speaking on Tuesday, declared that his outfit is the one to beat in the region, while dismissing the growing number of parties seeking a stake there.
Worse still, DCP has reportedly shown little appetite for working with Nyoro’s new party, branding it President Ruto’s “smaller wheelbarrow.”
Gachagua seems to be leaning into the politics of the barricade and his message to Mt Kenya is, stay within my fence, or be treated as a betrayer.
As the 2027 contest begins to take shape, the opposition will not be judged by who shouts loudest but by those who can build a coalition. On that score, Matiang’i is already speaking like a man who understands the assignment.
