High Court Rules On Mbeere Election Petition, Fines Petitioners Ksh800K
The High Court dismissed the Mbeere election petition, which challenged Leonard Wamuthende Njeru’s election as Mbeere North MP.
This came after the Mbeere North parliamentary by-election on November 27, 2025, which was marked by widespread violence, bloodshed, and election violations.
The petitioners, Julieta Karigi Nkubu and Patrick Gitonga Gishoni, claim that Wa Muthende used inconsistent names throughout the election process.
On September 3, 2024, he legally changed his name from Leonard Muriuki Njeru to Leo Wa Muthende Njeru through a deed poll.
This new identity was challenged since it did not match the registration with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Furthermore, the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits, ballot papers, and nomination documents allegedly still bore his prior name, Leonard Muriuki Njeru, resulting in what the petitioners regarded as a serious and unconstitutional irregularity.
The Embu High Court has dismissed an election petition challenging the victory of Mbeere North MP Leo Wamuthende and ordered petitioners to pay Ksh 800,000 in legal costs.
— K24TV (@K24Tv) February 12, 2026
Reacting to the ruling, Wamuthende said: This is not just a personal victory, it is a victory for the… pic.twitter.com/8Iz7pqnMar
The challengers also questioned whether Wa Muthende was a valid voter in Mbeere North at the time of the by-election.
They claimed that his absence from the updated voter roll made him ineligible to contest, and they accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of incompetence for failing to reconcile the name change with its official records.
His opponent, Newton Kariuki (Karish), accused the poll of cheating and voter bribery, and suggested that Wa Muthende’s name change was designed to mislead voters or disguise his background.
In the elections, Wamuthende was announced the winner with approximately 494 votes, a win that was opposed by his opponent, Newton Karish.
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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.
Earlier, Chief Justice Martha Koome had assigned Justice Richard Mwongo of the Embu High Court to oversee the proceedings of this petition.
High Court Rules On Mbeere Election Petition, Fines Petitioners Ksh800K
