Bishop Kiengei issues statement on direction Mt Kenya should take after Newton Karish’s loss
By Valerian Khakayi, November 28, 2025Jesus Compassion Ministries (JCM) head pastor Benson Gathungu, popularly known as Bishop Kiengei, has weighed in on the political mood in the Mt Kenya region following the defeat of Newton Karish in the just-concluded Mbeere North by-elections.
Taking to his official Facebook account on Friday, November 28, 2025, Kiengei said that the region’s political future is being compromised by predictable behaviour and a failure to re-strategise.
According to him, politics is not an emotional game but a science that requires planning, patience and understanding.
“A regional political direction and destiny is compromised by their already known behaviour. Politics is not just a wake-up race, it’s a science, and that’s why we have politicians studying The Political Science, “Kiengei wrote.
Kiengei noted that he had been silent about politics for some time, however, he felt compelled to speak after observing the pattern in the just-concluded by-elections.
Political shift
Kiengei further pointed out the political shift in the Mt Kenya region, stating that the residents no longer rely on radio, newspapers or social media popularity to determine its political direction.
However, he says, the opposition depended too heavily on these platforms, which he claimed have been critical of the ruling government but have not delivered the outcomes they hoped for.
The Bishop also criticised Geoffrey Ruku for being involved in the Mbeere North campaign, despite the Cabinet position being non-political.
“I have been silent about politics because politics is the only science that can make the Wise to look like fools while the fools look like the wise….. But allow me to say this, since the days of TUNAWES MAKE, Mount Kenya region has never been favoured by Radio, Newspapers or Facebook popularity, and that’s where a lot of people had banked the opposition hopes,” he added.
“While people like CS Ruku went to live in Mbeere and remember that a Cabinet secretary position is a non-political position, all these platforms have been against the ruling government, and it’s not bearing fruit.”
In addition, Kiengei raised several questions about the by-election outcomes, asking why some of the most popular personalities had lost and why the broad-based government secured all national parliamentary seats while the opposition only clinched local county assembly seats.
“Why have the most popular personalities lost in the recent By-elections? Why has the broad-based government bagged all the National Seats for the Parliamentary aspirants and the Baringo senate, leaving the opposition to comfortably win County Parliament seats? Why did the President go silent about the By-elections????” he questioned.
“THE SCIENCE…… Mount Kenya Region has to go back to the drawing board..Otherwise,in the upcoming General election, some of the wisest Mount Kenya political analysts will look like Thithia na Gìcùgùma….. iam back to the pulpit.”
Mbeere North by-election
This was a tightly contested race that attracted UDA’s top leadership, led by Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki, and the Opposition team, led by Rigathi Gachagua, who campaigned heavily for their respective candidates.
However, the opposition also lost UDA’s stronghold after Leonard Muriuki wa Muthende garnered 15,802 votes, narrowly defeating his closest challenger, Newton Kariuki Ndwiga of the Democratic Party (DP), who secured 15,308 votes.