DP leader Justin Muturi faces fresh scrutiny as he seeks to cement his influence in Embu County and on the national stage.
Recent by-election losses in his home constituency and ward, pressure from within the United Opposition and the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) alike have put fresh focus on Democratic Party leader and former Attorney General Justin Bedan Muturi.
The man, who has also served as Public Service Cabinet Secretary, National Assembly Speaker, and Siakago MP, is facing fresh scrutiny in his attempt at entrenching himself as a man of significant promise both in his Embu County backyard and on the national stage.
For a man who was in the race for the 2022 running mate slot for Dr William Ruto in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, his qualifications for higher office are not in dispute, albeit for the fast and furious happenings that risk disabling him politically.
Democratic Party (DP) leader Justin Muturi.
Mr Muturi hails from Embu County's Mbeere North constituency, where, on November 27, 2025, a by-election was held, and his candidate lost.
President Ruto had in 2025 sacked Mr Muturi from his Cabinet, where he had served as Attorney General as well as Public Service CS, in his place appointing Geoffrey Ruku as the replacement.
Prior to the appointment, Mr Ruku was serving as Mbeere North MP-- where Mr Muturi comes from-- serving under DP.
Mr Ruku abandoned Mr Muturi and his DP, joining the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to acquire State backing, under Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, in sponsoring Mr Leo Wamuthende in filling the vacant legislative seat.
Mr Muturi sponsored Newton Kariuki on his DP. Mr Kariuki lost with less than 500 votes, dealing Mr Muturi a huge blow.
It happened that Mr Kariuki had resigned as Muminji ward MCA together with Mr Duncan Mbui who was also in the race after he resigned from Evurore ward seat. Evurore ward is Mr Muturi's home village, and in the February 26, 2026, by-election, his candidate, Mr Albert Muchira, lost to Mr Duncan Muratia of UDA, tallying being 7,853 votes against 1,940.
In Muminji, Peterson Njeru of UDA sailed home with 3,207 votes against Mr Muturi's joint candidate with the Development Empowerment Party (DEP), Boniface Kariuki, who garnered 2,232 votes.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Mbeere North UDA aspirant Leo Wamuthende during Kamumu People's Forum in Embu County on November 18, 20205.
These rapid diminishing fortunes for Mr Muturi are shining a spotlight on his ability to make a serious presidential bid, or pose as a ground mobiliser capable of helping any formation present a serious threat to President Ruto who the United Opposition is planning to defeat.
But Mr Muturi remains undaunted, saying he won't be detracted by diversionary debates aimed at making him look rained on.
"I am certainly beyond that kind of narrative, which is what UDA operatives would want to engage in,” Mr Muturi told the Nation this week when we sought his comment.
But Mr Ruku remains resolute that the President's UDA party's (whose national chairperson is Embu governor Ms Cecily Mbarire) dominance in Mbeere North not only points at Mr Muturi's irrelevance but also "cluelessness of the whole United opposition to stage any threat for our re-election in 2027".
"The United Opposition is composed of noisy dramatists who remain bared by the three by-election results in Embu as lacking any sting to derail President Ruto's re-election not only in Mbeere North but also in Mt Kenya region," Mr Ruku said.
He went on: "Gone are the days when Mr Muturi used to have a say in Embu politics, and today the one-stop shop for 2027 command is Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Ms Mbarire and I for President Ruto's re-election".
Mr Ruku and Ms Mbarire, in yet another potentially explosive political nightmare for Mr Muturi, have suggested that Embu, Tharaka Nithi and Meru counties' voters detach themselves from Mt Kenya West counties and be an independent voting bloc called Mt Kenya East that controls about 1.1 million votes. In essence, this means a total eclipse of Mr Muturi's claim to a political base.
Mr Muturi's woes are further compounded by the fact that he is also losing his 2022 plot, where, against stiff opposition from area stakeholders, he had succeeded in getting coronated as Mt Kenya spokesman.
A splinter group of the Kiama Kia Ma cultural elders, led by former President Uhuru Kenyatta's cousin, Mr Kung'u Muigai, had coronated him in Embu, Tharaka Nithi and Murang'a 'shrines' in processes that the then Murang'a governor Mwangi wa Iria had dismissed as "witchcraft process".
Mr Muigai on Thursday told Nation that "the matter will soon come up for review to determine whether it is still valid or needs recalibration".
Kikuyu Council of Elders Chairman Mr Wachira Kiago on Thursday told Nation that the Mt Kenya community is united under common 2027 interests, and the important issue is the compound agenda of liberation.
"We are not interested in debating individuals. We are for the bigger picture. We have Mr Kenyatta and his Jubilee Party, Mr Muturi and Mr Rigathi Gachagua with his Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) managing us on how we approach 2027. Our interest is that unity, not who is who in the cause," he said.
The debate around Mr Muturi has ended up being hard for him to dismiss as a UDA distraction, him coming out on Thursday (March 5, 2026) to issue a barrage of justifications as to why his Mbeere North base is behaving as that which has crumbled.
"Those by-elections...There was transportation of non-residents who are not registered voters in the area. They were allowed to vote," he said.
He said the will of the people in the by-elections was blatantly rigged, where individuals were ferried from different parts of the country by a rogue government and facilitated to vote in favour of their preferred candidates," he said.
He said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission must declare and gazette all polling stations at least six months before the next General Election.
"This is not a favour to political parties; it is a fundamental requirement for transparency and electoral integrity. We will not sit back and allow the creation of ghost polling stations on the eve of an election to manipulate outcomes," he said.
If this requirement is ignored, he said he will move to court to compel that it happens.
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