Junet alleges entrenched interests denied Raila presidency

Minority Leader Junet Mohamed has claimed that entrenched power brokers in Kenya consistently worked to block the late opposition leader Raila Odinga from winning the presidency, a factor he says explains the ODM chief’s repeated electoral defeats.

Appearing on Citizen TV’s JKL, Junet argued that Raila’s losses in successive presidential contests were not the product of chance or voter sentiment alone, but of resistance from influential actors who traditionally determine political outcomes in Kenya.

"The people who normally make people president in Kenya did not want to make Raila president. That’s what I believe, without mentioning who’s who,” Junet stated.

According to the Suna East MP, calls to open electoral servers after disputed polls reflected long-standing concerns that the system was never aligned in Raila’s favour.

The legislature maintained that individuals who had previously influenced presidential victories were uncomfortable with Raila’s leadership style, despite publicly portraying support for his candidacy.

Junet, however, acknowledged that elite interference was not the sole factor behind Raila’s defeats, placing part of the responsibility on voters.

According to him, Raila’s track record in public service and his role in the country’s democratic reforms should have delivered a decisive victory rather than closely contested elections.

He further singled out the Mt Kenya region, arguing that stronger voter turnout there could have significantly altered the outcome of the last presidential race.

In his view, even a marginal increase in support from the vote-rich region would have handed Raila victory.

"His friend, the former president, did not take him to that area to tell the people that this is a good man. He was campaigning for him from his seat of power, the State House,” Junet claimed.

At the same time, Junet criticised Raila’s allies, including Kenyatta, for what he described as insufficient grassroots mobilisation, suggesting that elite-level endorsements were not matched by aggressive campaigning on the ground.

He also denied claims of cracks within the ODM party, insisting that the divergent views from different party members are a result of the democracy enjoyed by ODM.

He also dismissed rumours that he was UDA's mole and distanced himself from allegations of misusing party agents' funds in the 2022 elections.