The simmering cold war for the soul of the Mountain has finally erupted into open hostilities. In a blistering rebuke that shatters any remaining illusion of unity within the Kenya Kwanza administration, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has launched a savage attack on Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, dismissing his recent crusade against government borrowing as “textbook hypocrisy.”

Speaking yesterday in Nairobi, Ichung’wah did not mince words. He accused his parliamentary colleague of double standards, alleging that the very man now decrying the state’s appetite for debt was, until recently, the architect of the same budgetary framework he now condemns. The Majority Leader’s salvo marks a definitive escalation in the succession battle that has been quietly tearing the ruling coalition apart from within.

The “Hypocrisy” Charge

“You cannot sit at the table, eat the meat, and then complain about the slaughterhouse,” Ichung’wah declared, in a thinly veiled reference to Nyoro’s tenure as the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. Ichung’wah alleged that Nyoro had previously used his powerful position to divert budgetary allocations to his own constituency—projects funded by the very borrowing he now criticizes.

“It is the height of dishonesty for a leader to seek political mileage by condemning practices he not only benefited from but actively engineered,” Ichung’wah added. He challenged the Kiharu MP to explain how the “mega projects” in Kiharu were funded if not through the Treasury’s credit lines.

The Numbers: KES 3.4 Billion Daily

The counter-attack follows a series of populist rallies where Nyoro has painted a grim picture of the nation’s finances. The Kiharu MP has claimed the government is borrowing a staggering KES 3.4 billion every single day (approx. $26 million), warning that the country is hurtling towards a debt crisis reminiscent of Zambia or Sri Lanka.

Nyoro’s dossier of accusations includes:

• Crowding Out the Hustler: He argues the government’s domestic borrowing is sucking liquidity from banks, leaving no capital for the private sector or small businesses (SMEs).
• The Debt Ceiling: Claims that public debt has crossed the KES 12.1 trillion mark.
• Securitization Risks: A warning that mortgaging future fuel levies to service current loans is “borrowing by another name” that will enslave future generations.

Selling the Family Silver?

Beyond debt, the rift has widened over the controversial privatization drive. Nyoro has broken ranks to oppose the planned sale of state stakes in strategic assets, including the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) and the government’s 15% shareholding in Safaricom. He has warned of the creation of “Russian-style oligarchs” who will snap up public assets for a song.

Ichung’wah, however, defended the privatization bill as a necessary tool for fiscal discipline, dismissing Nyoro’s concerns as alarmist rhetoric designed to incite the public. “We are focused on inclusivity and transparency. Those shouting the loudest about ‘oligarchs’ are often the ones upset they were not invited to the deal,” the Majority Leader retorted.

The Political End Game

Analysts view this exchange not as a policy debate, but as a proxy war for the 2027 and 2032 political cycles. With the Mt. Kenya region feeling increasingly restless, Nyoro is pivoting to position himself as the defender of the Wanjiku, distancing himself from unpopular tax measures. Ichung’wah, conversely, has staked his future on being the President’s unwavering enforcer.

As the ruling coalition enters the new year, the question is no longer if the center can hold, but how much damage the falling debris will cause to the economy. For the average Kenyan, the spectacle of two government heavyweights trading blows over who broke the economy offers little comfort while the cost of unga remains stubbornly high.