According to The Saturday Standard, the candidate fingered in the massive corruption scandal rebranded himself as "Leo wa Muthende" and is now President William Ruto's chosen candidate for the November 27 by-election.
The Kenya Gazette shows that in September 2015, Njeru formally renounced his former name Leonard Muriuki Njeru and adopted Leo wa Muthende Njeru for all purposes in the Republic of Kenya.
Despite the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission recommending his prosecution over the oxygen plant scandal, Njeru has been embraced by the ruling party's top brass.
The EACC maintains he should be behind bars rather than running for office, raising stark questions about integrity and vetting.
Investigators have linked him to procurement irregularities involving a non-functional oxygen generation plant at Kenyatta National Hospital.
The Ksh 643 million project represents a massive loss of public funds, yet the candidate continues to enjoy full support from government leadership.
President Ruto's backing of Njeru and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki's active campaigning for him in Mbeere North have made the integrity issues a central political flashpoint.
The administration's unwavering support despite EACC recommendations has drawn criticism about the government's anti-corruption credentials.
Opposition candidate Newton Karish, backed by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, has made the scandal central to his campaign, framing the election as a choice between integrity and political expediency.
As voters prepare for November 27, the "Muthende mystery" has transformed a local by-election into a national test of whether Kenyans will elect a candidate recommended for prosecution by the country's anti-corruption watchdog but backed by the highest office in the land.
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