A by-election that should have centred on the everyday concerns of Mbeere North has instead been engulfed by national rivalries. Impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has planted himself in the constituency for weeks, issuing directives on how residents should vote and insisting that “visitors” be barred from campaigning — despite not being a registered voter there. What ought to have been a conversation about irrigation, schools and feeder roads has been repurposed into a personal reckoning with President William Ruto.
The vacancy itself arose from an April reshuffle in which President Ruto appointed Geoffrey Ruku — then MP for Mbeere North — as Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management. His elevation forced the November 27 by-poll, which should have given residents an opportunity to weigh competing development agendas.
Instead, Gachagua has led an opposition entourage, including Kalonzo Musyoka, Eugene Wamalwa and Justin Muturi, across the constituency. His rallies have been heavy on recriminations, pledges to “beat Ruto hands down,” and pointed attacks on Ruku and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire. Development needs, from drought mitigation to stalled Kiambere Dam works, have been drowned out by rhetoric drawn from his 2024 impeachment saga.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has countered with a contrasting message, anchoring his visits on water projects, road upgrades and government programmes — an appeal to progress over grievance. Yet the din of national drama threatens to eclipse the voices of the 80,000 voters facing 40% youth unemployment and increasingly erratic weather patterns.
As Election Day approaches amid police deployments and whispers of interference, the real test is whether Mbeere can reclaim this contest as its own. The constituency deserves to choose a representative — not to serve as a battlefield for someone else’s unfinished war.
