Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has launched a scathing attack on President William Ruto’s Senior Economic Advisor, Moses Kuria, blaming him for the opposition’s painful defeat in the just-concluded Mbeere North by-election. In a contest decided by fewer than 500 votes, Gachagua claims Kuria’s strategic interference was the mathematical difference between victory and defeat.

The political showdown in Embu County saw the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate, Leonard “Leo” Wamuthende, clinch the seat with 15,802 votes. His closest rival, the popular Benga musician Newton Kariuki (alias Newton Karish)—backed by Gachagua and the Democratic Party (DP)—garnered 15,308 votes. The margin of heartbreak for the opposition was a mere 494 ballots.

The 'Spoiler' Effect

Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday, Gachagua alleged that Kuria’s Chama Cha Kazi (CCK) party deliberately fielded a "spoiler" candidate, Duncan Mbui, solely to fracture the anti-government vote. Mbui, who finished a distant third with approximately 2,480 votes, siphoned off enough support to deny Karish the win.

“It is an open secret that the state used one of our own sons to divide the house,” Gachagua told supporters, stopping short of naming Kuria directly but leaving no doubt about his target. “When you sponsor a candidate who has no path to victory just to shave off 2,000 votes from the people’s choice, that is not democracy. That is sabotage.”

The friction stems from a complex pre-election maneuver. Duncan Mbui had initially sought the opposition’s backing but was dropped by Gachagua’s camp in favor of Karish to present a united front. Seizing the opportunity, Kuria’s CCK party promptly adopted Mbui, giving him a ticket and a platform that ultimately proved fatal to Gachagua’s strategy.

Kuria Fires Back

Never one to shy away from a brawl, Moses Kuria dismissed the allegations with his trademark acerbic wit. The former Cabinet Secretary maintained that his party has a constitutional right to field candidates anywhere in the republic.

“We are a political party. Our business is sponsoring candidates for elections,” Kuria retorted in a statement widely shared on social media. “Should we close shop and start selling bras instead? If their candidate was strong enough, he would have won regardless of who else was on the ballot.”

Kuria further twisted the knife by referencing an alleged debt, claiming in the weeks leading up to the poll that Gachagua owed the spoiler candidate, Duncan Mbui, Ksh10 million (approx. USD 76,000) in campaign reimbursements—a claim Gachagua’s team has vehemently denied.

A Litmus Test for 2027

The Mbeere North result is being viewed by analysts as a microcosm of the looming 2027 General Election battle for the Mount Kenya region. For the ordinary resident of Embu, however, the political chess game has real-world consequences. The split vote means the constituency remains under the ruling party's fold, potentially influencing the flow of development funds and bursaries.

• UDA (Wamuthende): 15,802 votes (Winner)
• DP (Karish): 15,308 votes
• CCK (Mbui): ~2,480 votes (The 'Spoiler')

The loss is a significant blow to the self-styled "United Opposition," which hoped to use Mbeere North to demonstrate that President Ruto’s grip on the Mountain is slipping. Instead, the result has exposed the fragility of their alliance and the lethal efficiency of UDA’s divide-and-conquer tactics.

“This was a test run,” warned political analyst Herman Manyora. “If Gachagua cannot consolidate his backyard against Kuria’s interference now, 2027 will be a massacre.”