Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s claim that the late Raila Odinga won the 2022 election is not a mere historical footnote.
Read Also
It is a direct challenge to the legitimacy of the sitting President and a profound test of our democratic institutions.
Raila himself petitioned the Supreme Court after the 2022 result. The court unanimously upheld William Ruto’s victory. That is the legal reality. Uhuru, who was President at the time, now says he “knows” the outcome was different.
The gravity lies in what this does to public trust. If a former Head of State believes an election was stolen, what message does that send to ordinary Kenyans who already harbour doubts? Raila, who died in October 2025, spent decades claiming he was cheated.
His supporters carry that grievance into 2027. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission must now step forward decisively. It is already undertaking electoral law reforms and preparing for the next general election. But procedural reforms alone will not suffice.
The IEBC must publicly demonstrate that every vote cast in 2027 will be properly accounted for.
Meanwhile, some UDA leaders speak of winning by “all means necessary”. That language is reckless. It feeds the very suspicion Uhuru has now amplified.
Kenyans deserve certainty. The IEBC must provide it.
Quote of the Day: “A man has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so.” —American journalist and political writer Walter Lippmann was born on September 23, 1889
