MP Mutunga: Raila lost great chance of becoming president

By Peter Ochieng

Azimio La Umoja One Kenya leader, Raila Odinga had one of the greatest chances of being elected president in 2022, but lost.

According to Tigania West Member of Parliament (MP) John Mutunga, the ODM party leader was rejected by the electorate, even after managing to get the support of former president, Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking during an interview on K24, Mutunga said whether results of the 2022 presidential election are audited or not, Raila lost the race to State House, to William Ruto.

He added that Odinga no longer has a chance of landing the country's presidency.

"The leader of the opposition Raila Odinga lost the greatest chance of his life. He lost the only chance he had to become the President, he has no chance any more. Whether we audit or we don't audit that is a chance he lost," said Mutunga.

Odinga is pushing for audit of the 2022 presidential election results, through the Azimio - Kenya Kwanza bipartisan talks team.

MP Mutunga noted that for the first time in his long political journey, Odinga enjoyed the backing he required to make him Kenya's 5th president, but that never came to be.

"He had the entire security systems with him, he had the entire infrastructure of the nation, he had the backing of the then sitting president with him, he had the deep state and the Kenyans to vote. He had everything."

The former Prime Minister garnered 6.9 million votes during last year's presidential contest, behind Ruto's 7.1 million votes, according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

He contested Ruto's win at the Supreme Court, before the case was thrown out, making it the 5th time he had lost the contest to State House, after dissapointments in 1997, 2007, 2013 and 2017.

It is still not clear whether he will vie for the top seat for the 6th time in 2027.