The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has reiterated his belief that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga won the 2022 presidential election, despite the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold President William Ruto’s victory.
Speaking at a Jubilee Party officials’ meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday, Uhuru also rejected suggestions that he failed to adequately support Odinga’s presidential campaign.
Referring to Odinga as “Baba,” Uhuru said he and his allies had done everything they could to help him secure the presidency.
He said he remains convinced that Odinga won the election and added that those involved understood how events unfolded after the vote and did not want a similar situation to happen again.
The comments have revived discussion around the August 9, 2022 presidential election, in which Odinga ran under the Azimio la Umoja coalition against Ruto.
On September 5, 2022, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected petitions challenging the presidential results and affirmed Ruto’s election.
Then-IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati had declared Ruto the winner with 50.49 percent of the vote, while Odinga received 48.85 percent.
Uhuru’s remarks come amid renewed disagreements among former Azimio officials over the coalition’s performance in the election. Much of the debate has centred on campaign organisation, including the recruitment and payment of polling agents and the coordination of campaign structures.
Former Raila chief agent Saitabao Kanchory previously argued that dismantling the campaign structures contributed to difficulties during the election.He said the campaign board was intended to coordinate the operation but that some individuals later pursued separate agendas.
Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, meanwhile, criticised the IEBC and alleged that the commission mishandled the tallying process.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino defended Suna East MP Junet Mohamed against accusations that he mishandled money intended for Azimio polling agents. Owino instead questioned Uhuru’s role in the election and his political differences with Ruto, his former deputy.
In January 2026, Junet rejected allegations that he mishandled funds intended for ODM agents during the 2022 General Election. The accusations had resurfaced following remarks by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.
Junet challenged Sifuna to explain why some agents allegedly failed to receive payment or were absent from polling stations. He instead attributed the problem to decisions involving individuals close to Uhuru.
Junet claimed that Uhuru had released money intended for election agents to his brother. He also alleged that another individual had been tasked with recruiting and paying agents and had claimed to possess technological expertise that could detect and prevent manipulation of election results.
According to Junet, the management of the agents’ funds was carried out from a restricted office in Nairobi’s Westlands area, which he alleged was inaccessible to many party officials, including Odinga.
Odinga had addressed similar allegations shortly after the election, dismissing claims that problems with the recruitment and management of agents were responsible for his defeat.
In a September 11, 2022 statement, Odinga argued that protecting votes and ensuring free and fair elections was the constitutional responsibility of the IEBC and other relevant institutions, rather than individual candidates.
He also defended Junet against accusations of misappropriating money meant for election agents, saying Junet had served as a campaign lead but had never handled or managed funds allocated to agents.
The renewed debate comes as Uhuru continues to participate in opposition politics, with Azimio la Umoja having recently rebranded as The Ukombozi Alliance ahead of the 2027 General Election.
