Former nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has entered the renewed 2022 election debate, insisting William Ruto's victory was genuine and pointing to her firsthand experience as a campaign agent and during the court challenge. Orwoba, who campaigned for Ruto on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket in the 2022 election, said she witnessed the voting process and later followed the legal battle mounted by the late Raila Odinga and the Azimio la Umoja coalition.
Orwoba's comments come days after former President Uhuru Kenyatta again said he believed Odinga won the 2022 election despite the Supreme Court upholding Ruto's victory. Speaking during a Jubilee Party officials' meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 22, Uhuru said he still knows Raila won the election. The renewed debate has also brought fresh attention to the management of the Azimio campaign, including its election agents and campaign structures.
Orwoba said her view was also shaped by what she witnessed during the presidential petition, particularly when selected ballot boxes were opened and recounted. She said she was there throughout the whole process, including when there was the court proceeding. According to her, the results from the ballot boxes examined in court matched the figures recorded on Forms 34A.
She dismissed claims that Odinga was denied victory, saying the former prime minister lost the election by a relatively narrow margin. Official results showed Ruto received 7,176,141 votes against Odinga's 6,942,930, giving Ruto a margin of 233,211 votes. The Supreme Court subsequently unanimously dismissed the consolidated petitions challenging the presidential election and upheld Ruto's victory.
Orwoba's remarks are notable given her subsequent break with UDA and her increasingly critical position towards Ruto's administration. She was expelled from UDA in 2025 following a dispute with the party and lost her nominated Senate seat after the party removed her from its membership register. She later challenged the move in court.
Since leaving the ruling party, Orwoba has publicly criticised Ruto and aligned herself with opposition figures, including former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, who is seeking to challenge Ruto in the 2027 election. However, her current political differences with Ruto did not alter her position on the 2022 presidential result.
Orwoba made the comments during an interview with Radio Generation on September 21, 2026, and again on TV 47 on September 24, 2026. Her comments have sparked fresh debate on the 2022 election, with some questioning the legitimacy of Ruto's victory.
Key points
- Orwoba insists Ruto's 2022 election win was genuine based on her experience as a campaign agent and during the court challenge.
- Orwoba's comments contradict those of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who believes Raila Odinga won the 2022 election.
- Orwoba's position on the 2022 election has not changed despite her current political differences with Ruto's administration.
