As voters in Mbeere North head to the polls on Thursday, November 27, 2025, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate, Leonard Muriuki Njeru, is at the center of a storm over his recent change of name to Leo Wamuthende and his alleged involvement in a KSh 433 million scandal at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recommended his prosecution, yet the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) cleared him to run, igniting a fierce debate on the standards of leadership and integrity in Kenyan politics.

The controversy revolves around a tender awarded to Njeru's company, Biomax Africa Limited, during the 2021/2022 financial year for the supply and installation of a medical oxygen generating plant at KNH. According to an EACC report submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on June 12, 2025, Biomax Africa allegedly used falsified documents, including forged performance bonds, to secure the contract. The investigation file recommended charging Njeru, former Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache, and other officials with procurement irregularities and abuse of office.

The plant was contracted to produce 8,000 litres of oxygen per minute (LPM) but has only managed to generate approximately 2,800 LPM. This failure has forced the national referral hospital to spend over KSh 565 million since 2022 to procure liquid oxygen from private suppliers, a cost exceeding the original value of the defective plant. Between July 2023 and February 2024 alone, KNH spent more than KSh 168 million on these emergency supplies.

Name Change and Electoral Clearance

Public scrutiny intensified after it emerged that Leonard Muriuki Njeru legally changed his name to Leo Wamuthende Njeru via a deed poll, published under Gazette Notice No. 13575 of 2025. Critics and political opponents have questioned the timing of the name change, suggesting it was an attempt to create a new political identity and distance himself from the corruption allegations ahead of the by-election.

Despite the active EACC investigation and the public controversy, the IEBC cleared Wamuthende to contest the Mbeere North seat. This decision has drawn criticism and raised questions about the enforcement of Chapter Six of the Constitution on Leadership and Integrity. While the IEBC is reported to operate on the principle that a candidate is innocent until proven guilty, the commission has not released a specific official statement detailing its legal reasoning for clearing a candidate recommended for prosecution by the state's anti-graft agency. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REQUIRED.

Similarly, the UDA party has not issued a formal statement from its headquarters addressing the EACC's findings against its candidate. However, senior UDA officials campaigning in Mbeere North have staunchly defended Wamuthende. Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, the former area MP whose appointment triggered the by-election, dismissed the allegations as “baseless and politically motivated propaganda” intended to derail a promising leader.

A High-Stakes Political Battleground

The Mbeere North by-election is more than a local contest; it has morphed into a significant political showdown with national implications. The race is widely viewed as a proxy battle for political dominance in the vote-rich Mt. Kenya region between two rival camps. One is led by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who has been spearheading the UDA campaign for Wamuthende. The other is led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and former Attorney-General Justin Muturi, who are backing the Democratic Party (DP) candidate, Newton Kariuki, also known as 'Karish'.

Both sides have invested significant political capital, with top national leaders camping in the constituency to rally support. The outcome is expected to be a litmus test of the current political alignments and influence within the region ahead of the 2027 General Election. The campaigns have been intense and marked by accusations of intimidation and plans for violence, prompting formal complaints to the IEBC.

Wamuthende, for his part, has largely avoided directly addressing the specifics of the scandal in public forums, instead focusing his campaign on development pledges. He notably boycotted a televised aspirants' debate on November 23, 2025, opting to hold a town hall meeting with youth instead. As voters make their choice, the unresolved questions surrounding the UDA candidate’s past and the integrity of the electoral vetting process hang heavily over this critical by-election.