ODM leader and Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga has challenged former President Uhuru Kenyatta to explain why his administration facilitated the transfer of power to President William Ruto if he believed Raila Odinga had won the 2022 presidential election.
Oburu was responding to Uhuru’s recent assertion that the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga won the 2022 election. Uhuru made the remarks on September 22 during a Jubilee Party meeting in Nairobi, despite the Supreme Court having upheld Ruto’s victory.
In a statement on Thursday, September 24, Oburu said Uhuru’s remarks reinforced what ODM had maintained after the election. He noted, however, that the party eventually accepted the outcome after pursuing the constitutional mechanisms available to challenge it.
Oburu questioned why Uhuru had chosen to disclose his position nearly four years after the election rather than at the time he believed the alleged electoral irregularities occurred.
He also asked why Uhuru’s administration proceeded with the transfer of power to Ruto if the former President was convinced that Raila had won.
The ODM leader further questioned what Uhuru expected Kenyans to do with the information at this stage.
Oburu said ODM had made several political concessions during its cooperation with Uhuru, particularly following the 2018 Handshake between Uhuru and Raila.
He said the party reduced its political demands in the interests of national unity and stability and did not seek Cabinet or other government positions despite its political influence at the time.
According to Oburu, ODM also made concessions ahead of the 2022 General Election, including abandoning its pursuit of some key elective positions as it focused on supporting Raila’s presidential bid and the wider coalition arrangement.
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He said those compromises had been made in good faith and argued that Uhuru should now provide a full account after reopening the debate over the 2022 election.
Oburu also cautioned against using the 2022 election and Raila’s political legacy as material for present-day political campaigns.
The renewed dispute follows a response from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), which rejected Uhuru’s claim and maintained that Ruto won the 2022 presidential election. UDA also accused the former President of attempting to revisit an election whose outcome had already been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Official results announced by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission showed Ruto receiving 7,176,141 votes, representing 50.49 per cent, while Raila garnered 6,942,930 votes, or 48.85 per cent. The Supreme Court subsequently upheld Ruto’s victory.
UDA’s response also included allegations about events surrounding the 2022 election, including claims concerning its supporters, former IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and events at the Bomas of Kenya. Those allegations were presented by UDA as part of its political response to Uhuru’s remarks.
