'Uhuru never healed from Raila’s 2022 election loss,’ UDA hits back over Azimio victory claim

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has hit back at retired President Uhuru Kenyatta after he claimed that the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga won the 2022 presidential election, saying the former Head of State is yet to come to terms with the outcome.

In a strongly worded response on Tuesday, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar accused Kenyatta of “living and wallowing in a fool's paradise” following his remarks at a Jubilee Party meeting in Nairobi.

Omar maintained that President William Ruto squarely won the 2022 election, dismissing claims that the results were manipulated to deny Odinga victory.

“Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta continues to live and wallow in a fool's paradise. William Ruto conclusively won the 2022 election and defeated Uhuru's illegal, devious and evil plans,” Omar stated.

“Clearly, Uhuru has never healed from the humiliating defeat that he occasioned Raila in the hands of President William Ruto, even after employing State machinery. President Ruto won the 2022 election decisively and conclusively. For the past 4 years, Uhuru has constantly drowned in the reality of the loss and, more devastatingly, the stamp of defeat that there was nothing he could do about it.”

The party further accused Kenyatta of attempting to undermine the election process before, during and after the 2022 polls, citing what it described as the disappearance of UDA supporters, alleged threats against then-IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and events at the Bomas of Kenya on August 15, 2022.

UDA also rejected Kenyatta's claim that he played a major role in helping Odinga secure victory, while arguing that Ruto was instrumental in Kenyatta's successful presidential campaigns in 2013 and 2017.

“Truth be told, Uhuru would not have even won the 2013 and 2017 elections were it not for the vigorous campaign mounted by President Ruto, then his running mate. He owes his two terms to President William Ruto,” UDA said.

The party accused Kenyatta of abandoning Ruto after securing his second term and subsequently turning against his former deputy.

UDA also shifted its focus to the 2027 presidential contest, declaring that Ruto would go forth to floor his opponents in the election.

“In 2027, William Ruto will win resoundingly and once again put Uhuru in the dustbin of political paralysis,” the party said.

Kenyatta, who was backing Odinga's presidential bid in 2022, said earlier Tuesday that he still believes the former Prime Minister won the election, questioning how Azimio could secure a majority of parliamentary seats while losing the presidency.

“We did everything to help him become President of Kenya. And to date I know that he won that election. We know how things went, and we don't want it to happen that way again,” Kenyatta said.

Official results from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) showed Ruto winning the 2022 presidential election with 7,176,141 votes, or 50.49%, against Odinga's 6,942,930 votes, or 48.85%.

The Supreme Court subsequently upheld Ruto's victory after Odinga challenged the presidential election results.

Kenyatta has meanwhile endorsed former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i for the presidency in the 2027 election, citing his leadership qualities and record.