IEBC Colluded with Government to Deliver UDA Win in By-Elections- Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru

The opposition is preparing to file a petition over the recent by‑election in United Opposition stronghold of Mbeere North, after a narrow victory by Leo Muthende of UDA, who edged out Newton Karish.

At a rally in Mukuni AIC, the opposition’s lawyer Ndegwa Njiru declared the contest was far from fair.

He alleged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) failed to deliver a free, transparent poll — instead colluding with the government to steer the outcome.

According to Njiru, the scale and scope of irregularities amount to a “clear and strong case” for nullification.

Njiru’s claims echo warnings by several observer and civil‑society groups. Elections Observation Group (ELOG) noted while the by‑elections saw largely smooth technical operations, widespread voter bribery, intimidation, mis‑use of state resources, and presence of unaccredited “super agents” seriously compromised the integrity of the process.

Further criticism came from VOCAL Africa and Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC), which accused IEBC of weak enforcement and the security agencies of bias — pointing to selective deployment of officers, threats to polling agents, and failure to prevent politically‑motivated violence.

Opposition leaders claim that in Mbeere North and other affected constituencies, the collusion between state actors and election managers turned what should have been democratic contests into “state‑orchestrated outcomes.”

With the supporting evidence now being compiled, Njiru insists that the petition will challenge not only ballot counts, but the entire legitimacy of the process — from candidate vetting to tallying and the role of security and public officers.

As momentum builds, many Kenyans will be watching closely to see if the courts will order a re‑run — or if this bid will further deepen public mistrust in Kenya’s electoral institutions.