Aladwa slams Uhuru over claim Raila was rigged in 2022

Nairobi ODM chairman and Makadara MP George Aladwa. [File, Standard]

Nairobi ODM chairman and Makadara MP George Aladwa has slammed former President Uhuru Kenyatta over claims that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was rigged out in the 2022 presidential election, reopening debate over the disputed poll.

Speaking on Friday during the party's grassroots delegates meeting in Lower Kabete, Nairobi, Aladwa said the former President's remarks are ill-intentioned and that he should stop reopening what he portrayed as healed wounds.

Uhuru, speaking during a Jubilee Party meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday, said he remained convinced that Raila had won the election and that he knew how the outcome was altered.

His remarks have since triggered fresh political debate, nearly four years after the Supreme Court upheld President William Ruto’s victory.

But Aladwa appeared to reject the former President’s account, questioning why the issue was being revisited now and urging Uhuru to leave the matter in the past.

“Let him desist from that matter. If he has retired, we respect him. But he should not come and tell us lies,” Aladwa said. "That's the highest level of hypocrisy."

He appeared to take particular issue with the circumstances surrounding the 2022 election, asking why Uhuru had not raised the alleged rigging claims at the time.

"Why are you raising this now?” he posed, claiming Uhuru duped them.

"He had the power to help Raila but he handed over the instruments to Ruto at Kasarani Stadium. It is him we are blaming for Raila's loss," Aladwa claimed, alleging that Uhuru's remarks are inciting.

"We are not ready to go to the streets," he said, pledging to support Ruto's re-election bid.

The MP also threw his weight behind the Government-to-Government (G-to-G) oil deal, insisting that those leaders questioning the arrangement should table the qualms in Parliament.

Aladwa challenged those who argue that the deal is more expensive to come forward and show Kenyans the alternative figures.

“If the G‐to‐G arrangement is being described as costly or irregular, then those making the claims should produce the contracts, import prices, premiums, freight charges and other evidence on which those conclusions are based,” he said.

“If there is evidence of corruption or illegality, let it be presented to Parliament, investigative agencies and other competent institutions.

Aladwa said while the opponents of the arrangement are riding on the recent comments by Uganda President Yoweri Museveni, the remarks should be contextualised.

“But Uganda's previous procurement model cannot, by itself, establish that Kenya's current G‐to‐G arrangement is improper,” he said.

He noted that different countries can have different suppliers, contracts, credit arrangements, pricing structures and procurement systems.

“We must therefore resist the temptation to mix separate arrangements simply because doing so creates a convenient political narrative,” the MP added.

He also pointed out that due to the success of Kenya’s fuel procurement arrangement, Malawi and Burundi have sought to understand how the G‐to‐G system works.

“Whether Kenya's model is more effective should ultimately be demonstrated through independently verifiable figures, rather than political declarations from either side,” he said.

Aladwa said the G-to-G framework must remain open to scrutiny as Kenyans are entitled to know what they are paying for, how suppliers are selected, what the credit arrangements are, what premiums and freight charges are being paid and whether the country is receiving value for money.

“But accountability cannot mean making allegations first and searching for evidence later,” he said.