Uhuru Breaks Silence on 2022 Polls: “Raila Won”
By Emmanuel Jumaah
NAIROBI, September 22, 2026 — Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has reignited debate over Kenya’s 2022 presidential election after publicly stating that he believes the late Raila Odinga won the contest.
Kenyatta made the remarks on Tuesday during a Jubilee Party meeting in Nairobi, where he handed over the party leadership to former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i. The handover was reported by several Kenyan news outlets.
In remarks that are likely to attract intense political debate, Kenyatta said he knew Odinga had won the election and suggested that the outcome did not reflect what he believed happened at the ballot.
> “Tulifanya kila kitu kumsaidia Baba awe Rais wa Jamhuri yetu ya Kenya. Na kura akapata, na mimi mpaka wa leo najua ya kwamba yeye ndiye alishinda hiyo kura. Tunajua vile mambo ilienda, na hatutaki iende hivyo tena.”
Kenyatta also pushed back against claims that he failed to support Odinga during the 2022 campaign, saying his role was to help the Azimio candidate secure victory.
His remarks revive one of the most contentious political debates from the 2022 election, which was won officially by William Ruto.
According to the results announced by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Ruto received 7,176,141 votes, while Odinga received 6,942,930 votes.
Odinga's team challenged the outcome at the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court dismissed the petitions and upheld Ruto's election as President.
Four years later, Kenyatta's latest comments have once again put the 2022 election under the political spotlight.
The remarks also come as Jubilee Party undergoes a leadership transition. Kenyatta has handed over the party leadership to Matiang’i pending the party's formal approval process, while he is expected to remain involved in the party in an advisory capacity. ([Nairobi Leo][3])
With the 2027 General Election approaching, Kenyatta's intervention adds another layer to the political debate surrounding Jubilee, Matiang’i and the opposition landscape.
The big question now: What does Uhuru's renewed claim about the 2022 election mean for Kenya's politics ahead of 2027?
