Who is the real MP? Voters seek answers in court, claim Mbeere North lawmaker ran under 2 names
By Brian Malila, December 4, 2025A dramatic legal battle is unfolding at the Embu High Court after two voters from Mbeere North filed a petition seeking to nullify the November 27, 2025, parliamentary by-election, accusing the declared winner, Leonard Wa Muthende Njeru, of participating in the election under two inconsistent identities.
The petitioners, Julieta Karigi Kithumbu and Patrick Gitonga Gichoni, cite what they describe as a “grave and unconstitutional irregularity” in the identification and nomination of the newly elected MP.
They argue that the by-election, conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), was compromised by the use of conflicting names by the winning candidate.
According to the petition, one of the candidates on the ballot was presented as “Leo wa Muthende Njeru ”, a name the petitioners claim does not exist in the IEBC voter register.
“During voting, I noted that one of the candidates in the by-elections was Leo wa Muthende Njeru of the United Democratic Alliance party,” the petitioner states.
However, after the tallying process, the constituency Returning Officer announced Leo Wa Muthende Njeru as the winner with 15,802 votes.
The turning point came when one of the petitioners conducted a verification exercise using the official Mbeere North Register of Voters, noting that the name Leonard Wa Muthende Njeru, which appeared on the ballot, was not on the register.
“Upon checking the official Register, I discovered that the only name registered in the electoral roll is Leonard Muriuki Njeru under National Identity Card No. 2-0-8-9,” the petitioner stated.
According to the voters, the candidate had legally renounced his old name, Leonard Muriuki Njeru, through Gazette Notice No. 13575 dated 3rd September 2025, and adopted the new name Leo wa Muthende Njeru.
However, the petition argues that despite this change, IEBC failed to update the KIEMS Kit, ballot papers, and candidate records.
In fact, the petitioners claim that on polling day, the KIEMS Kit still identified the candidate under the renounced name. “On polling day, the KIEMS Kit identified the 1st Respondent under the name he had already abandoned by law,” the document states.
The voters accuse IEBC of violating key constitutional principles of electoral integrity.
They argue that the candidate’s participation “under two inconsistent identities rendered the election uncertain, unverifiable, and irredeemably defective, contrary to Articles 81(e) and 86(a)-(c) of the Constitution.”
They further assert that the law requires any person seeking election as a Member of Parliament to be properly registered as a voter under their correct legal name.
“A person is eligible for election as a Member of Parliament only if that person is duly registered as a voter,” the petition quotes Article 99(1)(a) of the Constitution.
The petitioners warn that the situation may lead to an illegitimate representative in the National Assembly.
“I have legitimate concern that I will be represented… by a person who has not complied with the law regarding placement of details in the electoral records,” one petitioner states.
The case now awaits listing before the Embu High Court as the petitioners seek to overturn the outcome of a by-election marred by disputed identities.