Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has reignited the dispute over the 2022 presidential election, stating he remains convinced that Raila Odinga won the contest against President William Ruto. Speaking during a Jubilee Party National Executive Committee meeting, Uhuru questioned how Ruto could have triumphed when Azimio secured a stronger showing in parliamentary and gubernatorial races. He cited Azimio's 23 governor seats, 22 Senate seats, and 171 MP seats as evidence that the presidential outcome did not reflect the broader political reality.
Uhuru's comments represent a sharp escalation in the political war of words between the two former allies, whose relationship collapsed after Uhuru backed Raila instead of his own deputy in the 2022 succession. President Ruto has spent months publicly accusing his predecessor of failing to move on from the 2022 defeat and of sponsoring opposition activities against his administration. The official tally declared Ruto the winner with 7,176,141 votes, against Raila's 6,942,930.
The Supreme Court subsequently upheld Ruto's victory, with Chief Justice Martha Koome dismissing the petitions as lacking evidence. Uhuru also rejected claims he was personally defeated in 2022, laughing off the argument that Ruto had vanquished him at the ballot. He stated that he was not the one at the ballot; he was just Raila's handyman.
President Ruto has claimed he and Uhuru had an agreement that the latter would serve two terms before handing over, an arrangement Ruto says was abandoned when Uhuru backed Raila instead. Uhuru hit back directly at Ruto, questioning why his name remains central to the President's rhetoric nearly four years after he left office.
The NEC meeting also formalised a significant leadership transition, with Uhuru announcing he was stepping aside as Jubilee Party leader, handing the reins to former Interior CS Fred Matiang'i pending ratification by the party's National Delegates Convention. The handover follows a High Court ruling upholding a law restricting retired presidents from holding political party office beyond six months after leaving State House.
Matiang'i accepted the role and called for party unity, stating that he wants to invite all their brothers to sort out their issues without going to court. Not everyone was pleased, with former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu saying he had preferred former secretary general Jeremiah Kioni for the position.
Uhuru's decision to remain in Jubilee as a senior adviser cements his role as a pivotal figure in the 2027 election arithmetic. His networks and financial muscle are widely seen as crucial to whichever opposition coalition he backs. Uhuru said he would not leave politics entirely, urging the party to begin preparing early for the next general election.
Key points
- Uhuru Kenyatta claims Raila Odinga won the 2022 presidential election
- Uhuru hands over Jubilee Party leadership to Fred Matiang'i
- The dispute between Uhuru and Ruto deepens the opposition's internal divisions
