Ruto Responds to Uhuru’s Claim That Raila Won the 2022 Election

President William Ruto has responded to former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s renewed claim that the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga won the 2022 presidential election, urging political leaders to exercise restraint and responsibility in their public statements.

Uhuru reignited the debate over the disputed 2022 election during a Jubilee Party meeting in Nairobi on September 22, saying he remained convinced that Odinga had secured enough votes to win the presidency.

The former President questioned how the Azimio coalition could have performed strongly in parliamentary and county elections yet fail to secure the presidency.

Ruto, who was officially declared the winner of the August 9, 2022 presidential election, addressed the issue during a church service in Mwatate, Taita Taveta County, on Sunday, September 27.

Without directly naming Uhuru in the remarks, Ruto called on leaders to act as examples to the public and avoid statements that could create confusion or undermine national stability.

The President said leaders have a responsibility to demonstrate discipline and wisdom, particularly when addressing sensitive political issues.

“As leaders, if you are a leader, you are supposed to be a leading example,” Ruto said, according to reports on his remarks.

The renewed political exchange comes more than four years after the 2022 presidential election and months after the death of Raila Odinga.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission declared Ruto the winner of the 2022 presidential contest with 7,176,141 votes, representing 50.49 per cent, while Odinga received 6,942,930 votes, or 48.85 per cent.

Odinga subsequently challenged the results at the Supreme Court.

On September 5, 2022, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the petitions challenging the presidential election and upheld Ruto’s victory.

Uhuru’s latest comments therefore reopen a political debate over the election, but they do not alter the official results or the Supreme Court’s determination of the contest.

The former President’s remarks have nevertheless triggered fresh reactions from both government and opposition politicians, with different sides interpreting his comments through the lens of the country’s current political alignments.

Some government allies have accused Uhuru of revisiting an issue that was settled through the constitutional electoral and judicial processes, while some opposition figures have used his remarks to renew questions about the 2022 election.

The dispute has also revived memories of the political relationship between Uhuru and Ruto.

The two worked together under the Jubilee Party in the 2013 and 2017 elections before their political relationship deteriorated during Uhuru’s second term.

In the 2022 election, Uhuru backed Odinga’s presidential bid despite Ruto being his former deputy.

Uhuru has since remained active in political discussions, particularly within Jubilee and the wider opposition landscape, as political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Ruto’s latest response adds another layer to the continuing political rivalry, with the two leaders now offering sharply different accounts of the 2022 contest.

The debate is also unfolding at a time when Kenya’s political parties are beginning to form new alliances and reposition themselves ahead of the next General Election.

For now, the official outcome of the 2022 presidential election remains unchanged, while Uhuru’s renewed assertion that Odinga won has reopened political discussion over one of Kenya’s most closely contested elections.