When results from the Mbeere North by-election were announced, many political watchers felt they had seen this movie before.
But insiders say the intense nine-day contest carried the same energy and political creativity that previously defined Faya Si Faya—the strategic style that some local outlets quietly admitted had inspired their weekend coverage.
Those who followed the race closely say the playbook was familiar: move fast, go local, and turn a troubled campaign into a winning machine.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki stepped into Mbeere North on November 17 only to find a campaign in distress. Weeks of pressure from Rigathi Gachagua, DCP boss Justin Muturi, and DEP leader Lenny Kivuti had cornered UDA into a defensive position.
The Muturi–Kivuti alliance was especially tough to break, thanks to their influence built over years of constituency politics.
Sensing danger, Kindiki reassembled the UDA field team around former MP Geoffrey Ruku, Governor Cecily Mbarire, and Senator Alexander Mundigi. From that moment, the tempo changed dramatically.
Much like the strategy breakdown in your earlier story, Kindiki’s approach in Mbeere North focused on controlled fire—small, targeted engagements instead of noisy, unfocused rallies.
Sensing danger, Kindiki reassembled the UDA field team around former MP Geoffrey Ruku, Governor Cecily Mbarire, and Senator Alexander Mundigi. From that moment, the tempo changed dramatically.
Much like the strategy breakdown in your earlier story, Kindiki’s approach in Mbeere North focused on controlled fire—small, targeted engagements instead of noisy, unfocused rallies.
Between November 17 and 26, he held more than 50 closed-door strategy sessions and 17 public meetings.
He used these forums to shift attention away from national showdowns and into local frustrations: bad roads, dry taps, patchy electricity, and stalled irrigation projects. That message stuck.
At his first rally in Siakago, Kindiki publicly confronted Gachagua’s influence in the region. He promised to “humble” him politically and insisted that the real Mt Kenya leadership would be proven at the ballot, not at press conferences.
With voters demanding practical change, Kindiki packaged UDA candidate Leonard Wamuthende as a development-minded choice rather than a political pawn. Ward elders, women’s groups and youth leaders warmed up to the message quickly.
By the final week, the ground mood had shifted dramatically. Polling stations once considered secure for Muturi’s preferred networks suddenly looked competitive.
When ballots were tallied, Wamuthende claimed victory with 15,802 votes, narrowly defeating DP’s Newton Kariuki Karish who had 15,308 votes.
He used these forums to shift attention away from national showdowns and into local frustrations: bad roads, dry taps, patchy electricity, and stalled irrigation projects. That message stuck.
At his first rally in Siakago, Kindiki publicly confronted Gachagua’s influence in the region. He promised to “humble” him politically and insisted that the real Mt Kenya leadership would be proven at the ballot, not at press conferences.
With voters demanding practical change, Kindiki packaged UDA candidate Leonard Wamuthende as a development-minded choice rather than a political pawn. Ward elders, women’s groups and youth leaders warmed up to the message quickly.
By the final week, the ground mood had shifted dramatically. Polling stations once considered secure for Muturi’s preferred networks suddenly looked competitive.
When ballots were tallied, Wamuthende claimed victory with 15,802 votes, narrowly defeating DP’s Newton Kariuki Karish who had 15,308 votes.
Duncan Mbui of Chama cha Kazi trailed with 2,480 votes.
What shocked analysts most was the turnout—33,947 voters. For a by-election, it was one of the highest participation rates ever recorded in Kenya.
The win did more than secure a parliamentary seat. It blunted Gachagua’s influence in the region and opened new political space for Kindiki, who leveraged his calm, methodical style to position himself as a Mt Kenya heavyweight.
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