Uhuru Kenyatta Ignites Political Fury Claiming Raila Won 2022 Polls, UDA Hits Back

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has reiterated his conviction that the late Raila Odinga won the 2022 presidential election.

Speaking during a Jubilee Party meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 22, Kenyatta questioned how the Azimio coalition could have lost the presidency despite demonstrating strong performance in other elective races across the country.

Uhuru asserted, "We did everything to help Baba become President of the Republic of Kenya. He got the votes, and to this day I know that he is the one who won those votes. We know how things happened, and we do not want it to happen that way again."

He pointed to Azimio's initial lead in parliamentary seats, securing 165 Members of Parliament compared to Kenya Kwanza's 160, with 12 seats held by independent MPs.

Azimio also won 23 of the 47 governorships, surpassing Kenya Kwanza's 22, with two independent governors.

While Kenya Kwanza had a slight edge in the Senate with 24 directly elected seats against Azimio's 23, Kenyatta highlighted these overall results as evidence contradicting the presidential outcome.

The August 9, 2022 election saw the late Raila Odinga, with Martha Karua as his running mate, contest under the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition Party.

William Ruto, representing the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) as the presidential candidate of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, was declared president-elect after garnering 7,176,141 votes (50.49 per cent) against Odinga's 6,942,930 votes (48.85 per cent), a margin of 233,211 votes.

The Supreme Court subsequently and unanimously upheld Ruto's election, dismissing all petitions challenging the results. However, the parliamentary balance later shifted in favour of Kenya Kwanza after several MPs changed their political allegiance.

By October 2022, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula declared Kenya Kwanza the majority coalition with 179 MPs against Azimio's 157, following defections from parties including UDM, MDG, Maendeleo Chap Chap, and PAA.

Kenyatta also rejected claims that he was responsible for Odinga's loss, stating, "I am surprised when people say that we did not help Baba and that they defeated me. I was not on the ballot, and they are lying. I was only Raila's handyman."

He issued a warning against what he described as divisive and dirty politics, urging Kenya not to repeat the events surrounding the 2022 election. "Dirty politics and politics aimed at dividing Kenyans will take us nowhere. Let us not divide each other. What does it help us? Sell your manifesto," he advised.

Despite his personal conviction, Uhuru affirmed his acceptance of the Supreme Court's decision after the 2022 presidential petitions and presided over a peaceful transfer of power to Ruto without disputing the outcome.

He accused Ruto of continually dragging his name, suggesting, "And now, after four years, they are still talking about Uhuru. But when things are not working, people tend to look for excuses."

This marks the former president's clearest public assertion since the 2022 elections regarding his belief that Odinga won the presidential vote.

In response to Uhuru's remarks, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) strongly criticized the retired president.

The UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar, in a statement dated September 22, accused Uhuru of failing to come to terms with President William Ruto's election victory. Omar asserted, "Uhuru has never healed from the humiliating defeat that he occasioned Raila in the hands of President William Ruto."

Omar further claimed that Uhuru had utilized State machinery in an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2022 election, although these allegations remained unsubstantiated within the UDA's statement.

He also accused the retired president of engaging in "unconstitutional shenanigans" before, during, and after the election, citing alleged threats to former IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and events at Bomas of Kenya on August 15, 2022.

Omar declared that "William Ruto conclusively won the 2022 election" and stated Ruto's intention to seek another term in the 2027 elections.

The UDA official additionally credited Ruto with contributing significantly to Uhuru's presidential victories in both the 2013 and 2017 elections, during which Ruto served as his deputy.

Omar alleged that Uhuru later abandoned Ruto and contended that the former president has yet to accept the 2022 election results, warning him to "prepare for more humiliation come 2027."