UHURU’S BOMBSHELL: “Raila won the 2022 election”

NAIROBI, Kenya—Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has reignited the debate over Kenya’s disputed 2022 presidential election, declaring that he remains convinced Raila Odinga won the contest against President William Ruto.

Uhuru made the explosive claim on Tuesday as he formally handed over the leadership of the Jubilee Party, insisting that he and his allies had done everything possible to support Raila’s presidential bid.

“And votes were cast, and to this day, I know that he won that election. I know that. We know, we know!” Uhuru said.

The former President questioned how Raila’s coalition could have lost the presidential race when it secured a significant number of parliamentary and other elective positions.

“How can they say they won when we had more MPs than any of those other parties? We had more senators than them. We had more positions than them. How else did we lose?” he asked.

Uhuru also rejected attempts to portray the 2022 contest as a personal political defeat for him, reminding his audience that he was not a presidential candidate.

“Was Uhuru Kenyatta on the ballot, or was it Raila Odinga on the ballot?” he asked.

“Wasn’t I just Raila’s supporter?” he added.

Uhuru recalled that Jubilee had joined forces with Raila following the 2018 political handshake and subsequently backed his presidential campaign, saying the decision was intended to promote national unity and prevent political conflict.

“We did everything we could to help Baba become the President of our Republic of Kenya. We did it all,” Uhuru said.

His remarks reopen one of the most politically contentious questions surrounding the 2022 election, even though the Supreme Court dismissed the presidential election petitions challenging the result and upheld the declared outcome in favour of William Ruto.

The former President’s latest assertion is therefore a political claim about an election whose legal outcome was settled by the Supreme Court in September 2022. His remarks do not alter that judicial determination, but they revive the political debate over what happened during the closely contested election.

Uhuru also revisited the “hustlers versus dynasties” narrative that dominated much of the 2022 campaign, questioning who should be regarded as a hustler and who qualifies as a dynasty.

“My people, today I ask myself: Who are the real hustlers, and who are the dynasties?” he asked, drawing laughter from the gathering.

He further warned against political rhetoric that divides Kenyans along ethnic lines, arguing that Nairobi and Kenya as a whole are built around communities living and working together.

“Can this Nairobi exist without the Kamba, Kikuyu, Kisii, Luo, Luhya, Kalenjin, Coastal people, Somali — everyone?” Uhuru asked.

“That’s what makes Nairobi,” he said.

The remarks came as Uhuru formally stepped aside from Jubilee’s top leadership position following the recent High Court ruling concerning retired presidents and political party leadership. The ruling barred retired presidents from holding formal leadership positions in political parties beyond six months after leaving State House, while allowing them to remain party members and participate in political activities.

Uhuru said he would move into a senior advisory role within Jubilee but insisted that he was not leaving the party.

“I’m going nowhere. I am still a Jubilee member,” he said.

He also backed former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to take over his position, describing him as a wise and hardworking leader who loves Kenyans and has no malice.

“Agree to welcome Fred Okeng’o Matiang’i to take my place,” Uhuru told Jubilee delegates, who responded in the affirmative.

The former President urged the party to begin preparing early for the 2027 General Election by identifying candidates for MCA, parliamentary, Senate and gubernatorial positions.

He also said Jubilee should identify a presidential candidate capable of engaging with other political formations.

Uhuru’s intervention adds a fresh dimension to the opposition’s evolving political realignment ahead of 2027, coming at a time when parties and coalitions are reorganising and seeking new alliances.

But it is his renewed declaration on the 2022 presidential race that is likely to command the greatest political attention — four years after the election and despite the Supreme Court’s final determination on the contested result.