In a fiercely contested by-election that doubled as a battle for supremacy in Mount Kenya region, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki masterminded a dramatic comeback for United Democratic Alliance, snatching victory from a formidable coalition led by his impeached predecessor Rigathi Gachagua.
The 27 November poll in the semi-arid Mbeere North constituency saw UDA candidate Leonard Wamuthende, popularly known as Leo, declared winner with 15,802 votes against Democratic Party rival Newton Kariuki’s 15,308 – a narrow margin of 494 votes.
High stakes in the badlands
With 33,947 ballots cast from 55,124 registered voters, the 61.9% turnout was among the highest ever recorded in a Kenyan by-election. The seat had fallen vacant after former MP Geoffrey Ruku was appointed Public Service Cabinet Secretary.
What started as a local contest quickly morphed into a high-voltage duel between two deputy presidents – the sitting one and the sacked one – with the political future of Mount Kenya hanging in the balance.
Unlikely alliance that almost worked
Gachagua, now heading the nascent Democracy for the Citizens Party, joined forces with two local heavyweights: former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi of Democratic Party and Devolution Empowerment Party leader Lenny Kivuti. For the first time in Mbeere North’s history, Muturi and Kivuti – who together control more than half the constituency’s votes – campaigned as a single bloc.
When Kindiki arrived on 17 November, the UDA team was reeling from relentless attacks. He immediately changed tack.
Nine days that shook Mount Kenya
Between 17 November and polling day, the deputy president held more than 50 closed-door meetings with elders, mobilisers and party agents while addressing 17 public rallies across Evurore, Nthawa and Muminji wards.
“The DP was doing at least four private meetings every day on top of the rallies,” a member of Kindiki’s strategy team told this reporter. The campaign zeroed in on water scarcity, crumbling roads, low electricity connectivity and stalled government projects.
At his opening rally in Siakago, Kindiki fired the first salvo: “I will teach Gachagua a lesson and show him he is not, and will never be, the Mt Kenya kingpin.” He vowed to remain in the constituency until Wamuthende was sworn in.
Turning insults into votes
Gachagua had branded Kindiki “President Ruto employee”, but the deputy president flipped the narrative, painting his rival as a bully who only rediscovered Mbeere North after impeachment.
“Power is when the crown is on the head. Once the crown falls, it is no different from a piece of useless mabati,” Kindiki told cheering crowds.
Resident Jackson Njagi said the message resonated. “We know the opposition cannot deliver the roads and water projects the government has already started,” he said.
Opposition cries foul
Moments after Wamuthende was declared winner, the losing side rejected the results. Muturi called the election a “sham”, citing voter bribery, intimidation and chaos at several polling stations. He accused Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of being an extension of State House and warned of chaos in 2027 if reforms are not implemented.
The coalition is collecting evidence but has ruled out street protests, mindful that general elections are less than two years away.
Victory lap and quick deliver
Former area MP Muriuki Njagagua, who chaired the UDA campaign and now serves as senior presidential adviser, promised rapid implementation of pledged projects. “We know the politics and the needs of these people. Now we deliver,” he said.
For Kindiki, the hard-fought win cements his position as President Ruto most trusted lieutenant in Mount Kenya. For Gachagua, the defeat – however narrow – chips away at his loudly proclaimed claim to the regional throne.
In the dusty wards of Mbeere North, nine days of relentless grassroots mobilisation, sharp messaging and old-school door-to-door campaigning proved decisive.
