Mbeere North residents go to the polls again
A voter confirms her details on the IEBC register at Kanyuambora primary school polling centre during the Mbeere North by-election on November 27, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Evurore Ward has 25,985 registered voters while Muminji has 9,849.
- Residents of Evurore and Muminji said they want IEBC to hold the by-elections as soon as possible.
Residents of Mbeere North should brace themselves for two more by-elections after the Embu County Assembly Speaker Josiah Thiriku declared the Evurore and Muminji wards vacant.
The Speaker has sent the communication to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) so that a date can be set for the mini-polls.
The seats fell vacant after Newton Kariuki (Maminji Ward) and Duncan Mbui (Evurore Ward) resigned to contest the just concluded Mbeere North Parliamentary by-election which was marked by violence and alleged voter bribery.
Mr Kariuki resigned from Devolution Empowerment Party (Bus) while Mr Mbui won the 2022 election as an Independent candidate.
In the Mbeere North by-election, Mr Kariuki sought the MP seat on a Democratic Party (DP) ticket while Mr Mbui used Moses Kuria’s Chama Cha Kazi (CCK), but they all lost to United Democratic Alliance ( UDA) candidate Leonard Muthende.
Apart from the three, there were six other candidates - Lawrence Mwaniki ( Safina), Albert Murimi of National Vision Party ( NVP), Daniel Ngari of Kenya Moja ( K1), Reuben Muriithi Alliance for Real Change (ARC) and Waiharo Mwaura of Umoja na Maendeleo Party ( UMP) as well as Isaac Muringi of United Progressive Alliance ( UPA).
Mr Muthende was supported by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki while Mr Kariuki was backed by Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua as Mr Kuria threw his weight behind Mr Mbui.
Residents of Evurore and Muminji wards have said that they want IEBC to hold the by-elections as soon as possible.
"We don't have leaders to represent us because the ones we had elected resigned...we cannot stay without ward representatives in our areas," said Mr Hesbon Gangara, a resident of Muminji, told the Nation.
"We need new crop of leaders to represent the two wards in the county Assembly for the sake of development," added Mr Gangara.
In Muminji, residents will have to elect a new MCA after Mr Mbui said he will not be seeking to reclaim the seat.
"I will appear very cheap to contest for MCA after running for MP," he said, adding that he will wait until 2027 and give the MP seat a second shot.
Contacted for a comment, Mr Kariuki also said he would not vie in the upcoming by-election, throwing the contest wide open.
Evurore Ward has 25,985 registered voters, Muminji 9,849 while Nthawa, whose current MCA is Mr Sammy Tito, has 16,817 registered voters.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
