Leonard Muriuki wa Wamuthende of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has been declared the winner of the Mbeere North parliamentary by-election held on Thursday, November 27, 2025.
He defeated Newton Kariuki Ndwiga of Democratic Party (DP), narrowly clinching the seat with 15,802 votes against Kariuki’s 15,308.
The by-election was triggered when the former MP for Mbeere North, Geoffrey Ruku, was appointed Cabinet Secretary earlier this year.
Campaigns in the run-up to the mini-poll saw heavy involvement from top national and regional leaders.
The UDA campaign was led by Prof. Kithure Kindiki, who urged voters to support Wamuthende to ensure continuity of government–backed development in the area.
On the other side, DP-Karish was backed by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, with messages of resisting what he termed “state-sponsored” politics.
The contest was marked by accusations of vote buying and intimidation. Gachagua alleged that some supporters were being paid and that public resources worth up to KSh 600 million were being used to influence voters in favour of UDA.
UDA denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated attempts to discredit the election.
At the tallying centre in Siakago early Friday, supporters of Wamuthende celebrated as results declared him winner. Embu County leaders also joined the celebrations.
The by-election outcome reinforces UDA’s influence in Embu County and signals its strength in Mt Kenya East ahead of the 2027 general elections.