NAIROBI, Kenya- Lawyer and political strategist Saitabao Ole Kanchory, who served as the chief agent for Azimio la Umoja One Kenya’s 2022 presidential campaign, has added his voice to the ongoing debate over what went wrong in the bid to take State House.
He has defended Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna from criticism of mismanagement and pointing to failings by senior operatives, including Suna East Member of Parliament Junet Mohamed.
Kanchory, whose role during the 2022 election gave him a central view of campaign operations, has previously chronicled his account in a book titled Why Baba Is Not The Fifth — an insider narrative on how Raila Odinga’s campaign lost momentum and the presidency.
‘A lost presidency’ — Kanchory’s assessment
In media interviews and his book, Kanchory argues that Azimio’s loss was not simply a result of the vote count but internal disarray and strategic disorganisation within the campaign team.
He described the election machinery as inconsistent and marred by command centre struggles, where competing interests and confusion undermined cohesive operations.
Central to his critique, echoing Sifuna’s recent accusations, was the performance of key figures, including Junet, whom he listed among those whose actions negatively impacted the campaign’s effectiveness.
“Raila could not have lost this election if it was not for three people,” Kanchory said in an earlier interview, pointing to Junet alongside other senior operatives and suggesting that their missteps at critical junctures contributed to defeat.
While Kanchory acknowledged that campaign errors were widespread, his account lends weight to Sifuna’s claim that misallocation and poor management of campaign resources cost Azimio dearly, a point that has now resurfaced amid major tensions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Sifuna vs. Junet: Echoes of Kanchory’s critique
At the centre of the current political storm, Sifuna has accused Junet of mishandling funds including those meant to cover election agents at polling stations, and implied this failure was a factor in handing victory to President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition.
Junet, for his part, has rejected these claims, asserting instead that campaign funds were managed by individuals close to former President Uhuru Kenyatta, with funds released to his brother Muhoho Kenyatta and an appointee tasked with agent recruitment and payments.
Junet Kama Sio Wewe Kukula Pesa ya Uhuru ya agents, Raila Angekuwa President!!Sifuna Reveals!
Kanchory’s account dovetails with concerns about disorganisation and poor oversight that transcended individual grievances, illuminating how a lack of cohesion among campaign leadership may have amplified operational weaknesses at critical moments.
