A close aide to the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Dennis Onyango, has made striking claims that constitutional law expert Makau Mutua played a central role in mismanaging Raila’s 2022 presidential campaign, which ultimately contributed to his defeat.

Speaking in a televised interview on the night of Sunday, June 7, 2026, Onyango accused Mutua of taking control of Raila’s campaign structure in a manner he believes undermined coordination and sidelined key strategists who had long been part of the ODM and Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya political machinery.

“One person I won’t forgive is Makau Mutua. I don’t think he added any value to Raila’s campaign, and to the very last minute, up to today, I still believe he derailed us,” Onyango said.

Exclusion of key Azimio players

He further claimed that Mutua’s influence over the campaign created internal friction by excluding other key players and blurring the line between personal relationships and professional campaign management.

“He took over a person he did not understand and edged everybody out,” he claimed.

Onyango argued that effective political campaigns require clear separation between personal friendships and strategic decision-making, suggesting that this was not adequately observed during the 2022 presidential race.

“You can’t be a candidate’s person and also remain his drinking buddy. You can’t run a campaign that way. A campaign must be separated from personal friendship,” he added.

Makau Mutua’s role in Azimio

Prof Makau Mutua served as the spokesperson of the Raila Odinga 2022 presidential campaign team.

In 2023, the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition party further appointed Mutua, alongside Jeremiah Kioni, as assisting counsel for their team in the bipartisan talks with the Kenya Kwanza team.

In an announcement made by Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo, the team also appointed lawyer Paul Mwangi as a joint secretary.

Amolo said that the team would prioritise talks on the cost of living, forensic audit of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) servers and bipartisan reconstitution of IEBC.

“We reiterate the commitment by the coalition and this team to an honest, open, and genuine dialogue that will result in meaningful change in the lives of the people of Kenya. We will give every effort to find answers to the four main issues as framed by the Coalition namely; a reduction in Cost of Unga, Electricity and fuel, forensic audit of the IEBC servers, bipartisan reconstitution of the IEBC and respect for democracy and party discipline,” Amolo said.