The Embu High Court has commenced a court-ordered partial scrutiny and recount of ballots in the disputed Mbeere North Constituency by-election held in November 2025.
Recount Exercise Begins with Delays
The exercise, supervised by Deputy Registrar Mercy Kinyua, officially kicked off on Monday but faced early delays after the petitioner failed to promptly provide keys to open padlocks securing the storage room holding ballot boxes and KIEMS kits.
Court Orders Scrutiny
The recount follows a ruling delivered by Justice Richard Mwongo, who directed scrutiny in selected polling stations where electoral irregularities were reported.
The by-election, conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), had declared Leonard Wamuthende Njeru of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) as the winner.
Petition Challenges Results
The outcome is being contested by Newton Kariuki Ndwiga of the Democratic Party (DP), who filed a petition alleging irregularities in the election process.
Polling Stations Under Review
Justice Mwongo ordered scrutiny of ballot boxes and electoral materials in multiple polling stations, including Gitiburi 1 and 2, Kaungu, Siakago Social Hall, Mwondu Primary School, and Gikuyari Primary School.
Additional stations include Nthigirani 1/1, Kamauwa 1/1, Gwakaithi 1/1, Mbaruari 1/1, and Cingera 2/2.
Tensions at Court
Tension briefly flared when the petitioner’s lawyer, Ndegwa Njiru, delayed in producing the necessary keys, prompting the respondents’ legal team, led by Adrian Kimotho, to seek court approval to break the locks.
Kimotho argued that the delay was obstructing the court process and warned that the petitioner risked losing access to the tallying centre.
Media Ordered Out
Following a brief altercation between lawyers, the Deputy Registrar ordered members of the media to be escorted out to allow proceedings to continue smoothly.
Outcome Could Be Decisive
The scrutiny and recount exercise is expected to play a crucial role in determining the validity of the Mbeere North by-election results, potentially altering the declared outcome.
