By GPC Reporter
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has criticised retired President Uhuru Kenyatta after he reiterated his belief that the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga won the 2022 presidential election.
Kenyatta made the remarks on Tuesday during a Jubilee Party National Executive Council meeting in Nairobi, where he said he remained convinced that Odinga had won the election despite President William Ruto being declared the winner.
Also Read
The comments have reignited debate over the disputed 2022 presidential contest as political parties and leaders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan accused Kenyatta of failing to accept the outcome of the election and dismissed his renewed claims over the poll.
“His continued refusal to accept the will of the people demonstrates an inability to reconcile with the reality of defeat,” Hassan said.
UDA said Ruto’s election was “decisive, legitimate, and reflective of the sovereign will of Kenyans”, arguing that attempts to question the outcome amounted to an attack on the democratic process.
The party also criticised Kenyatta’s continued engagement with the 2022 election, saying his remarks demonstrated that he had not moved on from the contest.
“Mr Kenyatta’s persistent lamentations are symptomatic of a political career in decline,” Hassan said.
He further warned that Kenyatta’s political interventions would not alter the outcome of the 2022 election, adding that UDA would continue to defend Ruto’s mandate.
Kenyatta’s remarks come nearly four years after the Supreme Court dismissed petitions challenging the presidential election results and upheld Ruto’s election. The court record shows that Ruto was declared president-elect with 7,176,141 votes, or 50.49 per cent of the votes cast, against Odinga’s 6,942,930 votes, or 48.85 per cent.
The Supreme Court’s September 5, 2022 judgment rejected the petitions challenging the election and upheld Ruto’s election as Kenya’s fifth President.
Kenyatta, however, has now publicly revisited the outcome, saying he believes Odinga won the election. His comments have drawn a sharp response from UDA, which has increasingly framed the 2022 contest as part of the political battle likely to shape the 2027 elections.
Hassan said UDA would remain focused on supporting Ruto’s administration and “the aspirations of the people of Kenya”, while accusing Kenyatta of attempting to delegitimise the President’s mandate.
