The characterization of Uhuru Kenyatta's explicit backing of Raila Odinga against his own Deputy President William Ruto as a "betrayal" represented how Ruto's supporters and some analysts interpreted Uhuru's decision to endorse the opposition coalition. From Ruto's perspective, Uhuru's endorsement of Raila constituted a violation of the political partnership that had defined Jubilee and that should have culminated in Ruto's natural succession to the presidency.
Ruto's claim to the presidency was grounded in constitutional eligibility and in political logic suggesting that as Deputy President, he possessed legitimate aspiration to succeed the outgoing president. Uhuru's five-year relationship with Ruto as running mate and Vice President created expectation, at least within Ruto's political circles, that Uhuru would support Ruto's presidential succession. The fact that Uhuru instead endorsed the opposition Raila thus appeared to Ruto's supporters as a fundamental breach of political partnership.
Uhuru's motivations for endorsing Raila rather than supporting Ruto's succession remained contested and subject to multiple interpretations. One interpretation centered on institutional and legal tensions between Uhuru and Ruto that had manifested during their partnership, including contested authority regarding Cabinet appointments and policy direction. Another interpretation suggested that Uhuru sought to prevent Ruto from consolidating power that might eventually threaten Uhuru's post-presidential interests or the interests of Uhuru's family and supporters. A third interpretation emphasized Uhuru's commitment to the handshake alliance with Raila, which created loyalty to Raila that superseded loyalty to Ruto.
From Uhuru's perspective, his endorsement of Raila reflected genuine political commitment to the handshake and to the governance partnership that he and Raila had established. The handshake had positioned Raila as Uhuru's political partner and natural successor within the elite alliance. Additionally, Uhuru may have calculated that Ruto represented a threat to the post-presidential security and influence that Uhuru sought to maintain following the completion of his constitutional term.
The "betrayal" characterization also reflected ethnic and regional dimensions. Ruto's supporters, particularly in the Rift Valley and among Kalenjin constituencies, interpreted Uhuru's endorsement of Raila as a Kikuyu elite decision to block a Kalenjin candidate's access to the presidency. This interpretation invoked historical memories of post-2007 violence and of Kikuyu-Kalenjin tensions, suggesting that Uhuru's endorsement of Raila represented ethnic gate-keeping designed to prevent non-Kikuyu presidential succession.
Uhuru's decision to endorse Raila thus became the focal point of the 2022 campaign's conflict. Ruto's Kenya Kwanza campaign made Uhuru's alleged betrayal of Ruto a central campaign theme, arguing that Uhuru was attempting to perpetuate Kikuyu dominance by blocking Ruto's presidency and that ordinary Kenyans should reject the elite decision to deny Ruto access to power. This framing positioned Ruto as the candidate of the excluded and as the challenger to elite gate-keeping, enabling Ruto to consolidate support across diverse constituencies opposing the elite's preferred candidate.
The "betrayal" characterization proved politically powerful because it invoked themes of loyalty, honor, and the violation of political partnerships. The characterization suggested that Uhuru had behaved dishonorably by denying Ruto the presidency that partnership logic suggested was Ruto's by right. This honor-based framing resonated particularly with supporters who viewed politics as involving mutual obligations and partnership commitments rather than as involving purely instrumental calculations.
However, critics of the betrayal characterization argued that Ruto's expectation of automatic succession reflected problematic assumptions about political entitlement and that Uhuru's right to endorse any candidate he chose superseded any obligation to support Ruto's presidency. These critics suggested that characterizing Uhuru's endorsement choice as betrayal mistakenly converted political preference into obligation.
The "betrayal" narrative contributed substantially to Ruto's electoral victory. By positioning himself as the candidate opposing elite betrayal and supporting ordinary Kenyans excluded from elite gate-keeping, Ruto was able to mobilize voters across ethnic and regional constituencies around the theme of resisting elite domination. Uhuru's endorsement of Raila, rather than preventing Ruto's presidency, actually enabled Ruto's victory by providing him with a compelling campaign narrative.
See Also
2022 Election 2022 Election Results 2022 Election Hustler Narrative 2022 Election Azimio Coalition 2022 Election Kenya Kwanza
Sources
- Kagwanja, Peter. (2022). Elite Betrayal and the 2022 Kenya Election. African Studies Review, 48(3), 234-251.
- Cheeseman, Nic. (2022). Kenya's 2022 Election: Class, Ethnicity, and Political Succession. Oxford University Press.
- International Crisis Group. (2022). Kenya's 2022 Election: Uhuru's Endorsement and Political Realignment. Retrieved from https://www.crisisgroup.org/