Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro has found himself at the centre of social media controversy after a 2023 tweet praising Sudanese General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti, resurfaced amid Sudan’s worsening civil conflict. The post, which drew widespread condemnation, was quickly deleted—but not before sharp-eyed Kenyans had already taken screenshots.
The 2023 tweet, posted at a time of growing tensions in Sudan, read: “Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), the commander of RFS. We are African and Africa is our business.” The message, though seemingly innocuous then, has since aged poorly given Hemedti’s alleged role in the brutal civil war that has devastated Sudan.
Hemedti, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is accused of orchestrating atrocities, including war crimes and ethnic cleansing, particularly in Darfur and Khartoum. The RSF has been locked in a violent power struggle with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, since 2023. The ongoing conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions.
As reports of Hemedti’s alleged involvement in grave human rights violations intensified, Kenyan social media users revisited Nyoro’s old tweet, sparking outrage. Many accused the MP of “poor judgment” and “careless political commentary.”
Faced with mounting criticism, Nyoro swiftly deleted the post. However, his attempt to retract it did little to quell the backlash. “Screenshots never forget,” one X user remarked, while another quipped that politicians should “think before they tweet.”
The controversy comes at a politically delicate time for Nyoro, who has recently distanced himself from President William Ruto’s administration after being removed from the influential Budget and Appropriations Committee eight months ago. Since then, he has emerged as a vocal critic of Ruto’s fiscal policies, positioning himself closer to the public than the government.
Critics, however, suggested that Nyoro’s tweet episode reflects a pattern among politicians who attempt to realign themselves with popular sentiment only when their political fortunes shift.
Despite the uproar, the MP has yet to issue an official statement addressing the matter.
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