Uhuru vs Ruto: When an alligator tells you the crocodile is sick...

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta and President William Ruto during the burial of Raila Odinga at Bondo on October 19, 2025. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

During the 2022 epic Raila Odinga Versus William Ruto presidential election petition at the Supreme Court, Lawyer Willis Otieno famously asked, "When an alligator comes out of the water and tells you that the crocodile is sick, do you doubt him?"

The last few weeks have been a time like no other. It has been a time of “revelations”. Dr Ruto, while on a whirlwind tour of Luo Nyanza, lambasted Uhuru Kenyatta for allegedly sabotaging his administration by sponsoring the Opposition. Days later, on September 22, 2026, Mr Kenyatta made an earth-shaking revelation: He claimed that it was, in fact, Raila who won the 2022 presidential election. Kenyatta revealed that he was convinced Raila won the popular vote but was denied the presidency through ‘electoral mischief’.

Uhuru is not a miraa vendor at Igembe township. He is a retired president, for heaven’s sake. He was not a casual observer of the events as they unfolded at Bomas of Kenya. He was the sitting president of the Republic. He personally handed over the instruments of power to Ruto after a gruelling presidential petition at the Supreme Court, which turned out to be "hot air". So, when he turns up four years later to make such an outrageous claim, I sit up and listen.

Permit me to digress just a little. I dislike weddings because of one stage in the process. When the marriage officer solemnly and sombrely declares: “If there is anyone who has a just cause why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now, or forever hold your peace," I am a little uncomfortable with the “or forever hold your peace”. That bit about "forever".

Uhuru had the opportunity to speak out as events unfolded at Bomas. Hey, he was the commander-in-chief of the Defence Forces. There were several options at his disposal. But he held his peace. Then came the wild goose chase election petition at the Supreme Court. Again, Uhuru kept his peace. At Kasarani Sports Complex, Uhuru, with a smile plastered all over his face, willingly and ceremoniously handed over all the instruments of power to William Samoei Kipchirchir Arap Ruto. For the third time, he kept his peace.

Then, four years later, he had a revelation and a confession to make to Kenyans. That the winner of the presidential election held that year is not the guy at State House today. That political mischief happened and was allowed to happen at Bomas. The only natural meaning and even pedestrian interpretation of Uhuru’s revelation is that there is a fake at Harambee House. Now, that is huge.

But what had so rattled him to make that profound and potentially explosive statement? Whatever it was, I was immediately reminded of Wakili Otieno’s analogy of the Alligator and Crocodile. Uhuru was not just an insider; he was the CEO of Kenya.

Shortly after he made those remarks, someone high up there publicly suggested that the author of that utterance was probably not entirely sober. That may well be possible, though Ola Rotimi, in his book, 'The gods are not blame', observed: "It is what is in the heart, when there is no wine in the head, that comes out of the mouth when there is wine in the head." Has the same meaning as the Latin phrase “in vino veritas”, which translates to “in wine, there is truth”. I leave it there.

Exit Uhuru, enter Moses Kuria. Mr Kuria claimed that in the 2013 and 2017 general elections, he and others stole the presidential election in favour of Uhuru Kenyatta. That both elections were roundly won, hands down, by the late Raila. I didn’t quite get the motivation for Kuria’s revelation. But I was shocked that he actually swaggered out of Inooro TV studio without handcuffs. Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions had their work cut out for them- someone confessed publicly to subverting the will of the people. I wondered what happened to the vigour and enthusiasm employed by DCI when officers literally spent a sleepless night camping at Inooro as they waited to arrest Mukurwe-ini MP John Kaguchia.

Public officers sign the Official Secrets Act Declaration Form upon appointment to legally pledge that they will keep government secrets confidential. This mandatory requirement is governed under the Official Secrets Act (Cap. 187).

It explicitly prohibits unauthorised disclosure of official information, documents, plans, code words, or data. These restrictions extend to speeches, lectures, radio/TV broadcasts, the press, and digital communication platforms. The legal obligation to maintain secrecy applies strictly during and after the officer's tenure of service. Violating the Act by leaking classified information is a criminal offence. Depending on the gravity of the breach and its prejudice to national security, offences can carry a penalty of up to 14 years of imprisonment. And what is the use of the Election Offences Act, No. 37 of 2016?

A matter such as who cheated their way to State House and who was blatantly robbed of the presidency is a weighty matter of grave national concern. It hinges on national security. Hundreds of innocent Kenyans were killed in the aftermath of those elections. Property was destroyed, careers shattered and affected families will never recover. Uhuru and Kuria must not be allowed to treat such grave issues so casually.

If three straight presidential elections were rigged and the perpetrators are at large, living large, why should Kenyans bother with another charade next year?

My interpretation of both revelations, by Uhuru and Kuria, is fortified by the reality of the Alligator-Crocodile analogy.

Though I wouldn’t dismiss the element of a lack of sobriety during the revelations, again, “in vino veritas”.