Former Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho has defended the conduct of the 2022 General Election, stating that neither retired President Uhuru Kenyatta nor the late Raila Odinga, then leader of Azimio, instructed state officials to interfere with the will of Kenyan voters.
Responding to questions about why Raila Odinga failed to secure the presidency despite perceived advantages, Kibicho rejected suggestions that state machinery influenced the outcome, emphasising that elections are ultimately decided by voters.
Speaking during an interview on TV47, Kibicho said: “Would you have wanted me to break the law, stuff ballot boxes and rig elections so that Raila wins against the will of the people?”
He added that then Kenya Kwanza candidate William Ruto received more votes than Raila, and there was no way the results could have been influenced.
Kibicho described both Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga as leaders who respected the Constitution and democratic processes, even under intense political pressure.
“At no point did Uhuru or Raila call to instruct us to change the will of the people,” he said, dismissing claims that senior state officials were directed to manipulate the outcome of the presidential race.
According to Kibicho, the results reflected the actual votes cast by Kenyans, with William Ruto emerging ahead of Raila Odinga.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced that Ruto secured 7,176,141 votes (50.49 per cent), surpassing the constitutional threshold for a first-round victory, while Raila Odinga garnered 6,942,930 votes (48.85 per cent), a difference of approximately 233,211 votes.
The results were declared on August 15, 2022, by the late IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati.
The announcement came amid a split within the commission, with four of the seven commissioners publicly questioning the process and describing it as “opaque,” a move that heightened political tensions.
Raila Odinga subsequently petitioned the Supreme Court, alleging electoral irregularities.
On September 5, 2022, the court unanimously upheld Ruto’s victory, ruling that the election had been conducted in a transparent, verifiable, and credible manner.
Ruto was sworn in as Kenya’s fifth president on September 13, 2022.
Kibicho emphasised that public servants must uphold the rule of law and the Constitution rather than engineer outcomes for any candidate.
“If Ruto had more votes than Raila, would you rather the law be broken just to make government look effective?” he asked.
by FELIX KIPKEMOI
