Wamuthende to Mbeere North: I'll serve you without discrimination

Mbeere North MP-elect Leo Wamuthende has thanked voters after Thursday’s by-election, saying he is committed to serving all residents regardless of how they voted.

Wamuthende spoke after being declared the winner early Friday morning.

Acknowledging that the race was competitive, he credited his victory to faith and community support.

“I thank God. I thank all my supporters for their support and prayers,” he said.

“As you can see, it was a hotly contested race, and it is only through God that we have made it this far.”

He also thanked his party and the institutions that oversaw the poll.

“I want to thank UDA, my party, for the support,” he said.

 “The security team, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), for conducting a fair election, and I want to thank the people of Mbeere North.

Wamuthende said he will serve the entire constituency without discrimination.

“I have made a commitment not only to those who elected me but to all residents of Mbeere North. I will be there," he said.

“Whichever choice they made, I am now the MP. I will discharge my duty without any discrimination."

He pledged to honour all campaign promises.

“I remember mentioning fair distribution of bursary, free secondary education for day scholars and infrastructural development,” he said. 

“I remain committed to serving the people of Mbeere North.”

Wamuthende said he will also prioritise the completion of projects started by his predecessor.

“I am committed to ensuring that the projects from the last MP that are still underway are completed,” he said.

He assured that he is ready to begin work immediately.

“I look forward to serving residents of Mbeere North as their MP,” he said.

Wamuthende secured 15,802 votes, edging out his nearest rival, Newton Kariuki (also known as Newton Karish), who garnered 15,308 votes.

The seat, as the newly elected MP said, was hotly contested, with two top rivals leading the campaigns: Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and his predecessor Rigathi Gachagua. 

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 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.

Wamuthende's win now solidifies UDA party's hold in Embu County.