The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has fired back at retired President Uhuru Kenyatta after he claimed that the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga won the 2022 presidential election.
UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar accused the former President of refusing to accept the outcome of the election, saying he was “living and wallowing in a fool’s paradise.”
“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 said.
Omar was responding to remarks made by Uhuru during a Jubilee Party National Executive Council meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday.
Uhuru said he still believed that Raila won the election despite President William Ruto being declared the winner by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“Na kura akapata. Na mimi mpaka wa leo najua ya kwamba yeye ndiye alishinda hiyo kura,” Uhuru said.
The retired President also questioned how Raila’s Azimio coalition could have secured a majority of parliamentary and gubernatorial seats while losing the presidential contest.
“Unawezaje kusema umeshinda? Tulikuwa na wabunge wengi kushinda chama hiyo ingine. Tulikuwa na maseneta wengi kushinda hao wengine. Tulikuwa na magavana wengi kushinda hao wengine,” he said.
Uhuru added that he did not want the events surrounding the 2022 election to be repeated.
“Tunajua vile mambo ilienda. Na hatutaki iende hivyo tena,” he said.
However, official IEBC results showed Ruto won the August 9, 2022 presidential election with 7,176,141 votes against Raila’s 6,942,930 votes.
Ruto secured 50.49 per cent of the vote against Raila’s 48.85 per cent, before the Supreme Court upheld his victory after petitions challenging the results.
UDA said Uhuru’s latest remarks showed that he had not come to terms with the election outcome.
“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,” Omar said.
The UDA official further accused the retired President of attempting to interfere with the 2022 election process, citing alleged pressure on IEBC officials and events surrounding the declaration of the presidential results at Bomas of Kenya.
The party also revisited the political fallout between Uhuru and Ruto, arguing that the current President played a major role in Uhuru’s successful presidential campaigns in 2013 and 2017.
“Uhuru would not have even won the 2013 and 2017 elections were it not for the vigorous campaign mounted by President Ruto, then as his running mate. He owes his two terms to President William Ruto,” UDA said.
The relationship between the two leaders deteriorated during Uhuru’s second term after he fell out with Ruto and backed Raila’s presidential bid in 2022.
The latest exchange comes as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 General Election.
President Ruto has also recently accused his predecessor of failing to move on from the 2022 election, while other senior Kenya Kwanza officials have stepped up criticism of Uhuru’s renewed involvement in opposition politics.
UDA has meanwhile maintained its support for Ruto ahead of the 2027 contest, with Omar declaring that the President would seek another term.
Uhuru, on his part, has endorsed former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i as his preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential election.