High Court Orders Partial Recount in Mbeere North By-Election Over Irregularities
The High Court in Embu has ordered a partial scrutiny and recount of ballots in the disputed Mbeere North parliamentary by-election.
Justice Richard Mwongo delivered the ruling on Friday, 27 March 2026, after hearing a petition challenging the results. The court directed that election materials from selected polling stations be re-examined due to reported irregularities.
The by-election, held in November 2025, was won by Leonard (Leo) Wamuthende of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) with a narrow margin. He defeated Newton Kariuki Ndwiga of the Democratic Party (DP). The petitioner, Newton Kariuki Ndwiga, accused the process of having issues such as violence, broken chain of custody of ballot materials, discrepancies in voter registers, and other irregularities in several polling stations.
All ballot boxes from the by-election have already been placed under court custody in Embu. The partial recount will focus only on areas where credible evidence of problems was presented. Many people in the region are now waiting to see the outcome of the recount, which could affect whether Wamuthende keeps his seat or if the results change. The case continues in court.
