Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i criticized the Kenyan government, accusing it of leveraging state power to influence recent by-elections, stating that "Power comes and goes." His remarks followed chaos and alleged intimidation tactics during mini-polls, particularly in Mbeere North and Malava.

• Matiang'i, the Jubilee Deputy Party Leader, slammed the government for "arrogance" and accused leaders of using state influence to seize votes, citing incidents of violence.
• The by-elections saw government-allied candidates like UDA's Leo Wamuthende and David Ndakwa win parliamentary seats, with close margins, such as Wa Muthende beating Newton 'Karish' Kariuki by 482 votes in Mbeere North.
• Matiang'i warned that such intimidation could lead to anarchy, referencing his past role as Minister for the Interior and emphasizing that "Power comes to an end."

The Election Observers Group (ELOG) has commended the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for conducting free and fair by-elections across Kenya on Thursday, November 27, 2025, despite some reported challenges.

• ELOG's preliminary report indicated that 93.4% of polling stations demonstrated good or very good conduct.
• 100 trained roving observers were deployed by ELOG and partners.
• Though 83% of voting started on time, 1.6% of polling stations experienced issues with KIEMS kits and 42% faced voter challenges.
• ELOG urged the IEBC to provide timely information, enforce assisted voting, enhance voter education, and address the influence of high-profile individuals, while also calling on the National Police Service to investigate incidents of violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Moses Kuria, leader of the Chama Cha Kazi (CCK) party, has refuted claims that he was used by the government to split votes during the by-elections on Thursday, November 27. He dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, arguing that his party's performance did not suggest such an influence.

• CCK's candidate garnered only 2,480 votes in Mbeere North, an amount Kuria stated does not support claims of significant vote splitting.
• The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate, Leonard Wa Muthende, won the Mbeere-North mini-polls with 15,802 votes.
• The by-election was triggered by the appointment of Geoffrey Ruku as Public Service Cabinet Secretary.