NAIROBI, KENYA – Democratic Party (DP) Leader Justin Muturi has framed the upcoming Mbeere North parliamentary by-election as a pivotal choice between “courage and fear,” as campaigning intensifies ahead of the Thursday, November 27, 2025 vote. The contest is widely viewed as a critical litmus test for President William Ruto’s political standing in the Mt. Kenya region following a series of high-profile political realignments.

The by-election was triggered after President Ruto appointed the constituency’s then-Member of Parliament, Geoffrey Ruku, to the Cabinet as Public Service Secretary in March 2025. The move was part of a cabinet reshuffle that saw Muturi, a former Attorney General and National Assembly Speaker, dismissed from the same post, marking a definitive fallout with the President.

Now repositioned as a vocal government critic, Muturi is leading the charge for his party's candidate, Newton Kariuki, popularly known as Karish. In a statement on Sunday, November 16, 2025, Muturi declared that the era of political intimidation and bribery had failed, asserting that “Mbeere North is awake.” His “courage over fear” remark aims to galvanize voters against the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and its candidate, Leonard Muthende.

A High-Stakes Regional Battle

The Mbeere North contest has transcended local issues, morphing into a proxy battle with significant national implications. It pits President Ruto and the UDA against a formidable, newly-formed opposition front in the Mt. Kenya region. This alliance notably includes former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who, after his own fallout with the President, has joined forces with Muturi. Other national opposition figures, including Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and DAP-K’s Eugene Wamalwa, have also thrown their weight behind the DP candidate, framing the election as the symbolic birthplace of a revitalized opposition.

During a campaign rally on November 16, 2025, Gachagua told supporters that the by-election was a direct contest between President Ruto and the people of Mt. Kenya, vowing to defeat the UDA candidate “hands down.” The united front is a strategic move to consolidate anti-Ruto sentiment in a region that was instrumental to his 2022 election victory.

The Road to the By-Election

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officially scheduled the by-election, along with 22 other mini-polls nationwide, for November 27. The announcement, made in an August 8, 2025 gazette notice by IEBC Chair Erastus Ethekon, set the official campaign period from October 8 to November 24. The IEBC has described the series of by-elections as the first major test for the newly constituted commission, which took office in July 2025.

Muturi, a native of the larger Embu County, has deep political roots in the area, having previously served as MP for the former Siakago Constituency, which was later renamed Mbeere North. His personal history and recent reinstatement as DP party leader in June 2025 have positioned him as a key figure in this electoral fight. He and former Embu Senator Lenny Kivuti, once rivals, have united to sponsor Kariuki’s candidacy, a move seen as an attempt to overcome historical clan rivalries for the shared purpose of defeating the UDA.

The UDA, led on the ground by CS Ruku and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, is campaigning vigorously to retain the seat and reaffirm the President's influence. The outcome in the constituency, with its 55,124 registered voters, is expected to have significant political reverberations, potentially emboldening the opposition and signaling a shift in the political landscape of Mt. Kenya ahead of the 2027 General Election.