Mbeere North Member of Parliament (MP) Leo Wamuthende has brushed off claims that his successful parliamentary bid was bankrolled by the government.

Speaking during an interview on a local TV station on Monday, January 19, 2026, Wamuthende maintained that his victory stemmed from a grassroots, issue-driven campaign backed by well-wishers who supported him voluntarily, not state machinery.

“I did not have the support of the government; instead, individuals came to support me in their own capacity, and I welcomed them, as they supported me in their individual capacities as expected,” Wamuthende explained.

“Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku supported me in their individual capacity. I needed that moral support, and I am happy I got it.”

At the same time, the MP distanced himself from accusations of election rigging, terming them baseless and ironic, especially given how the opposition politicians conducted their campaigns.

He argued that while his team focused on development issues and matters that were directly affecting the people of Mbeere North, the opposition lacked a clear agenda.

“We had an issue-based campaign. If the opposition never had any agenda, most of their meetings were about insults. They were talking about me more than they were talking about themselves,” he said.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku had also rubbished claims saying there were no cases of voter bribery in the concluded by-elections.

Wamuthende expressed his surprise that the same opposition politicians who, according to him, offered little in terms of tangible plans for voters, were quick to accuse him of rigging the election.

Wamuthende-Gachagua jitters

He maintained that the claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his team were merely an attempt to taint his reputation rather than a reflection of what transpired at the ballot.

Gachagua had also been accused of buying National Identification Cards in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) strongholds in Mbeere North, where he had camped campaigning for Karish.

“They do not know what they are talking about. And it is the same case, they heard that there was rigging. If that happened, then the opposition is misled,” Wamuthende stated.

Wamuthende’s recent comments follow two distinct legal petitions filed at the Embu High Court challenging his November 2025 by-election win.

The first petition was submitted by two voters from Mbeere North, while the second came from the by-election’s runner-up, Newton Kariuki, widely known as Karish, who narrowly lost in the closely contested race.