DP hosts Mt Kenya MPs, commends their dedication

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on Wednesday hosted Mt Kenya lawmakers at his Karen residence, including the newly elected Mbeere North MP Leo Wamuthende, for thanksgiving.

Kindiki thanked the MPs for their tireless efforts in the recent Mbeere North by-election campaigns, saying they gave everything to ensure UDA clinched the seat.

FKF rift deepens as Hussein alleges “coup plot” amid Mariga fallout Football

KCB to dare Tusker in FKF Cup semi-final blockbuster Football

“I thank each and every one of you for the huge contribution you made to ensure our success in the by-election. We are ending the year on a high note,” he said.

“We are grateful because you gave everything to ensure we won in Mbeere North.”

The Second in Command, who led the campaigns that culminated in Wamuthende’s victory, said they ensured the quest remained issue-based despite attempts by the opponents to force them to engage in insults and other useless engagements.

“Our opponents thought they would overrun us, but with your efforts, we won decisively. They did not have anything to tell the people but insult anyone they could think of,” DP noted.

He said Wamuthende’s political messaging was on point and won the people over to him.

The lawmaker thanked the Deputy President for his tirelessness and focus, saying it is his leadership that delivered the win.

“I thank the DP for turning the tide in our favour. Before you came, things were really hot. I am humbled by your effort; it was clear the seat was not only about Mbeere but Kenya,” the MP noted.

***Deputy President Kithure Kindiki with Mbeere North MP Leo Wamuthende at the official Karen Residency, Nairobi on December 4, 2025/DPCS***

The meeting came a day after President William Ruto hosted Wamuthende at State House.

Also present during the State House meeting were ODM party leader Oburu Odinga and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire.

In the by-elections held on November 27, Wamuthende secured 15,802 votes, edging out his nearest rival, Newton Kariuki (also known as Newton Karish), who garnered 15,308 votes.

Wamuthende’s victory solidified UDA’s hold in Embu County. The seat was hotly contested with Kindiki and his predecessor Rigathi Gachagua at the centre, to assert a claim of the region.

What began as a routine by-election, triggered by the elevation of former MP Geoffrey Ruku to Cabinet in March 2025, morphed into a high-stakes duel between the camps.

Kindiki personally led rallies for Wamuthende across Mbeere North in the run-up to the polls, casting the contest as a referendum on delivering development and continuity of government-funded projects.

According to him, electing Wamuthende was vital for the completion of major works, including roads, water and electricity infrastructure, and water-reticulation projects from the Kiambere Dam.

On the other side, Gachagua threw his weight behind Kariuki. His campaign adopted a grassroots approach: door-to-door canvassing, village-level outreach, and appeals to voters to resist what he described as “state-sponsored politics.”

The rivalry injected national-level political significance into a constituency by-election, turning Mbeere North into a proxy arena for broader power tussles within the Mt. Kenya region.