The Embu High Court has dismissed the Mbeere election petition challenging the election of Leonard Wamuthende Njeru as the Mbeere North MP.
This was after the Mbeere North parliamentary by-election held on November 27, 2025, was marred by widespread violence, bloodshed and widespread election irregularities.
According to the petitioners, Julieta Karigi Nkubu and Patrick Gitonga Gishoni, they argue that Wa Muthende used inconsistent names throughout the election process.
He changed his name from Leonard Muriuki Njeru to Leo Wa Muthende Njeru via a deed poll on September 3, 2024. This new identity was disputed as it did not reflect the registration by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Additionally, the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits, ballot papers, and nomination documents reportedly still bore his former name, Leonard Muriuki Njeru, creating what the petitioners described as a grave and unconstitutional irregularity.
The challengers also questioned whether Wa Muthende was a duly registered voter in Mbeere North at the time of the by-election.
They alleged that his absence from the updated voter roll rendered him ineligible to contest and accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of negligence for failing to reconcile the name change with its official records.
His opponent, Newton Kariuki (Karish), claimed that the poll involved rigging and voter bribery and argued that Wa Muthende’s name change may have been intended to mislead voters or obscure his past, interfering with the legitimacy of the election outcome.
In the elections, Wamuthende was announced the winner with approximately 494 votes, a win that was opposed by his opponent, Newton Karish.
In its ruling, the court found that the petitioners, Julieta Karigi Nkubu and Patrick Gitonga Gishoni, failed to deposit the required Ksh500,000 security for costs within 10 days of filing the petition, as stipulated under electoral law.
Additionally, the court requested that the petitioners pay the responding party’s costs not exceeding Ksh 800,000, which will be subject to taxation by the Deputy Registrar in charge of court taxes.
All other pending applications were also dismissed on the basis that their implementations depended on the continuation of the case.
