ATWOLI CALLS FOR UHURU'S ARREST OVER RAILA 2022 CLAIMS

COTU-K Secretary General Francis Atwoli has called for the arrest of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, challenging him to explain his recent claim that the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga won the 2022 presidential election.

Atwoli made the remarks on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, while speaking at Elukanji Primary School in Khwisero Constituency, Kakamega County, during a groundbreaking ceremony for a local water project.

The veteran trade unionist questioned how Uhuru, who was President and Commander-in-Chief at the time, could now claim that Raila’s votes were taken away if he knew that the election had been manipulated while still in office.
“Now that he is outside government, he knows how Raila was rigged out of the election. How could Raila's votes have been stolen yet he was the President and Commander in Chief?” Atwoli said.

He went further to accuse Uhuru of violating the oath he took while serving as President, particularly the obligation to protect state information.
“He must be arrested and charged for violating the oath he took while serving as President,” Atwoli said.

Atwoli also demanded that Uhuru explain what he knew about the disputed election and what action he took before handing over power to President William Ruto.

The remarks came a week after Uhuru, during a Jubilee Party Executive Committee meeting in Nairobi on September 22, said he remained convinced that Raila had won the 2022 presidential election.
“We did everything to help Baba become the President of the Republic of Kenya. Na kura akapata, na mimi mpaka wa leo najua ya kwamba yeye ndiye alishinda hiyo kura,” Uhuru said, expressing his continued belief that Raila received enough votes to win.

Uhuru also questioned how Azimio could have lost the presidency while securing a significant number of parliamentary, senatorial and gubernatorial seats.

The former President's comments have reopened debate over the 2022 election, despite the Supreme Court having dismissed the presidential petitions challenging the result and upheld William Ruto's election. The court's judgment acknowledged that petitioners had raised allegations of irregularities and illegalities but found that they were not of a magnitude capable of affecting the final result.

Atwoli's challenge therefore centres on what Uhuru knew while he was still President and why, if he believed Raila had won, he did not act on that information before leaving office.

He further urged the former President to disclose what happened during the disputed electoral period instead of making revelations years later.

The confrontation adds another layer to the increasingly heated political debate ahead of the 2027 General Election. Uhuru and Atwoli, who were both associated with Raila's political camp during the 2022 contest, now find themselves on different sides of the emerging political alignment.

Atwoli has since become a vocal supporter of President Ruto's broad-based administration, while Uhuru has continued to influence Jubilee's political direction as the party positions itself ahead of the next election.

The latest exchange also follows criticism of Uhuru from other political figures, including questions over why he handed over power to Ruto if he believed Raila had actually won.

Kenya has witnessed many post electoral allegations challenging the results but it is yet to ascertain on the legimacy of allegations aside from political jamboree, however questions still remain if the former head of state can be found at offense over the allegations and even face prosecution.

For now, Atwoli’s demand remains a call for accountability rather than proof of wrongdoing. Nevertheless, Kenya has seen numerous post-election allegations, many of which remain politically contested. The key question now is whether credible evidence could establish an offence by the former Head of State and lead to prosecution under the law.