By Anderson Ojwang’
With only 22 days to the first anniversary of the late Raila Amolo Odinga, immediate former President Uhuru Kenyatta stunned the nation after he said that he believed Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate won the 2022 elections.
Uhuru has stirred the restively calm political waters in the country with only 11 months to next year’s General Election with the claims of Raila’s victory in the last General Election.
The statement is likely to trigger a cocktail of reactions from President William Ruto, currently in the United States of America (USA) attending the UNGA Conference.
Uhuru said, “We supported Raila as Jubilee and members of the Azimio Coalition and we did all that to make him president,” he said.
Uhuru said he believed Raila won the elections and that the truth will finally come out.
“Raila won the election. I am convinced he won the presidential elections. I know that, we know, those who want to know, know the truth, you,” he said.
Uhuru said Azimio la Umoja won the majority of MPs, Senators and governors’ seats against President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza.
“We had more MPs than the coalition. We had more senators and governors than the other coalition. How did we lose this? We know how it went and we do not want to go that route again,” he said.
I defeated Uhuru
Last week, during President Ruto’s tour of Nyanza, Ruto went bare-knuckle on his former boss, retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, terming him a rebel leader.
“He was the president of Kenya. Instead of going into retirement to be a statesman, you have turned yourself into a rebel leader, the leader of the opposition,” he said.
Ruto also said that Uhuru cannot defeat him in the 2027 presidential election after having defeated him in the 2022 General Election.
Ruto reminded Uhuru that he defeated him in the last General Election and that he lacks the capacity to defeat him this time.
Ruto wondered how Uhuru could defeat him in the 2027 presidential election now that he is the President.
“If I defeated you when you were the president, how can you defeat me now when you are in retirement? Surely that can never happen,” he said.
But Uhuru dismissed Ruto’s claims that he defeated him in the last General Election, saying he was not on the ballot.
“Some people say we didn’t win. I believe Raila won the elections. They said they defeated me. Was it not Raila on the ballot? Uhuru was not on the ballot. Why are you dividing the country through the politics of division?” he said.
We respected the Supreme Court
Uhuru said even if they did not agree with the Supreme Court ruling which upheld Ruto’s victory, he presided over a peaceful transfer of power.
“I will speak my truth. After the election and the Supreme Court gave verdict. We did not reject it and in a broad daylight we gave them instrument of power. There was no violence,” he said.
Uhuru wondered why Ruto and his allies kept on abusing and accusing him of their own failures.
“After four years, they keep on saying Uhuru this and that. Were you elected to talk about Uhuru? If it is not working, you must look for an object to blame and that is Uhuru Kenyatta. Kenyans know so well.”
My right is enshrined in the Constitution
Uhuru said his democratic right was enshrined in the Constitution and he was free to speak out.
“You call me names sponyo or rebel leader. Is it wrong to talk about our democracy? I have not forced people to follow me,” he said.
In another blow to Ruto, the High Court ruled as void and null a section of the Constitution that barred a retired president from holding political office.
Justice Bahati Mwamuye on Monday, September 21, ruled that a retired president is not barred from engaging in active politics.
According to the court, it is unlawful for the law to control the private life of a private citizen.
“The person thereafter stands in a fundamentally different constitutional position: he or she is a private citizen,” the judge said in the ruling.
The ruling comes days after another court barred retired presidents from holding positions in a political party six months after retirement.
Delivered on Monday, September 14, the court ruled that former Heads of State can continue participating in political activities but cannot hold party leadership positions beyond the six months.
