Mbeere North Member of Parliament Leo Wamuthende has opened up about his life journey for the first time since his election in the November 2025 by-election.

Speaking candidly to TV47’s Elizabeth Mutuku on Mfahamu Kiongozi, which airs every Thursday, the legislator offered rare insight into his upbringing and school life, revealing that he was born and raised in Siakago town, Embu County.

“Siakago was a very small town. I remember we were among the first people to start cooking and selling chips when I was in high school,” he recalled.

Wamuthende, who is the second-born in a family of five children, disclosed that he faced serious challenges while growing up, particularly in raising school fees. He said his father struggled with alcohol addiction, a situation that made life difficult at home but did not deter him from pursuing his dream of becoming a scientist.

“I struggled a lot to pay school fees because my father loved alcohol very much,” he said.

The MP revealed that he received support from Plan International, which helped pay his school fees, enabling him to complete high school. He later moved to Nairobi, where he joined university to study biochemistry.

Wamuthende also spoke about the hotly contested Mbeere North by-election, describing the campaigns as intense and at times deeply personal.

“The Mbeere North campaigns were very intense; I was heavily insulted. But no matter how much you’re insulted, it doesn’t change anything,” he said.

During the campaign period, Wamuthende was linked to an oxygen supply scandal and came under scrutiny over his recent change of name from Leo Njeru to Leo Wamuthende. He was also alleged to have been involved in a KSh 433 million scandal at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) recommending his prosecution.

However, he has repeatedly denied any involvement in the scandal, insisting that his change of name was purely political.

“Changing my name was related to politics, and I am happy I did. You cannot change your name because of a project. I am still the same person, and my ID number is the same. It has nothing to do with any scandal,” he said.

Leo Wamuthende was elected MP for Mbeere North on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket after the seat fell vacant following the appointment of Geoffrey Ruku to the Cabinet by President William Ruto.

The by-election was widely viewed as a political litmus test for UDA, particularly in assessing whether the party was losing its grip on the Mount Kenya region following the highly publicised fallout between President Ruto and his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.