The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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The Embu High Court has begun a court-ordered partial scrutiny and recount of votes in the disputed Mbeere North Constituency by-election held in November 2025.
The exercise, overseen by Deputy Registrar Mercy Kinyua, commenced on Monday but was briefly delayed after the petitioner failed to promptly provide keys needed to access the storage room holding ballot boxes and KIEMS kits.
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The recount follows a ruling issued virtually by Judge Richard Mwongo, who directed that selected polling stations with reported irregularities undergo scrutiny.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had declared Leonard Wamuthende Njeru of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) as the winner of the election.
However, the outcome was challenged by petitioner Newton Kariuki Ndwiga of the Democratic Party (DP), who filed a case contesting the results.
Justice Mwongo ordered the review of ballot materials from several polling stations, including Gitiburi, Kaungu, Siakago Social Hall, Mwondu Primary School, and others listed in the petition.
Proceedings briefly stalled when lawyers disagreed over access to the storage facility, with the petitioner’s legal team delaying the provision of keys. This led the respondents’ lawyers to request permission to break the padlocks to avoid further delays.
The court later directed that media be temporarily removed from the courtroom to allow the process to continue smoothly.
The scrutiny and recount exercise is expected to play a key role in determining the final outcome of the contested election.
