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2022 was full of ups and downs for Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga.

Being the election year, Raila offered himself once again to the electorate to consider him for the highest office.

Having failed in his previous four attempts, the former Prime Minister hit the campaign trail with a different political branding from the past to bolster his chances of clinching the seat.

His fortunes gradually changed for the better a few months before the general election and with the support of his ‘Handshake brother’ the former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration, Raila was destined for victory this time round.

But his hopes started dwindling as the counting of votes continued when all indications were showing that he was heading for another disappointment.

From his fifth unsuccessful bid for the presidency to his daughter Winnie Odinga being elected to the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA), we look at how Odinga’s fortunes took twists and turns in 2022.

Raila’s opinion polls ratings

Following his fourth presidential loss in the 2017 general election, the Azimio coalition party leader’s future may have seemed to be hazy.

Raila rose from the ashes of the 2017 loss and was destined for victory if the pre-election opinion poll results were anything to go by.

According to the Infotrak poll conducted in June, Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua had a 42 per cent lead over his closest challenger, the then Deputy President William Ruto, and his running mate Rigathi Gachagua, who had a 38 per cent.

According to the poll, Odinga would receive at least 9.3 million votes with a clear lead in 20 counties, compared to DP Ruto’s 8.4 million votes with a win in 16 counties.

Another poll by Trends & Insights for Africa (TIFA) conducted on May 17 also put Odinga and Karua ahead at 39 per cent against Ruto and Gachagua who polled 35 per cent.

Despite numerous opinion polls putting the Orange Democratic Party (ODM) leader and his running mate ahead, the two narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Following the declaration of Ruto as the president-elect on August 15, 2022, by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati, Odinga’s camp protested the results alleging vote-rigging.

Odinga’s party agent alleged that there were “irregularities” and “mismanagement” in the election leading to scuffles and delays in the announcement of the results.

The Azimio team then moved to the supreme court to challenge the results and with some of the best legal minds in the country defending the petition, Raila exuded confidence in emerging victorious.

They banked on the walk-out of four IEBC commissioners popularly known as ‘the Cherera four’ who disowned the outcome as read by Chebukati terming the process as ‘opague’.

But in the end, Odinga’s team could not convince the court that the claims of the chairman running a one-man show was enough to undermine the election results.

In a scathing ruling of the now famous ‘hot air and wild goose chase’, the supreme court judges found that some evidence were based on forged documents and “sensational information”.

The court also found no credible evidence that the electronic voting transmission system had been tampered with as claimed by Odinga and his team.

With no concrete evidence to convince the court otherwise, the judges unanimously upheld Ruto’s election as the fifth president ending Raila’s hope and handing him his fifth consecutive presidential election defeat.

Raila’s daughter to EALA

Despite the defeat, Raila’s family got something to smile about when parliament voted Winnie Odinga on November 16, 2022, as one of the nine members to represent Kenya at the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA).

Prior to the election, Winnie had taken to the corridors of parliament to campaign and lobby MPs to support her bid, a move which was successful.

As EALA MP Winnie is now entitled to the following benefits; a monthly gross salary of Ksh1.4 million inclusive of allowances, a vehicle provided by the mother country, free visits to member countries, and travel allowances.

Additionally, she will assist in budgetary processes and the development of legislation to govern the East African Community.

Raila has however vowed to continue pushing for transparency, accountability, and democracy in the country.

He has since taken an active role in opposition politics showing no indication of retiring from politics soon.

At 77, Kenyans are waiting to see whether he will run for president again in 2027.