‘I will petition for Raila to enter Guinness Records for most election losses’ – Ekuru Aukot
Third Way Alliance Party leader Ekuru Aukot has suggested that former Prime Minister and opposition leader Raila Odinga should be entered into the Guinness Book of Records for the most election losses.
Aukot made these remarks during a discussion on a local TV station on Wednesday, February 20, 2025, where he appeared alongside Senators Edwin Sifuna and Tom Ojienda.
During the discussion, Aukot criticized ODM’s position in the government, claiming that the party was divided and lacked independence as the main opposition. He accused ODM members of being transactional politicians who align themselves with the ruling regime for personal gain.
Taking a direct jab at ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, the 2017 presidential candidate questioned the party’s unwavering support for Raila Odinga who had stepped away from its leadership to pursue the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship. He argued that ODM had never won a presidential election and had a history of losing.
“Your party is transactional. You are tumbocrats. We are talking about the daily struggles of mwananchi. You are fraternizing with this regime. Stop this pretence that ODM is independent. party. ODM has never won an election. I have only lost one election, but how many elections has the person he praises and prays for lost? Five, and one continentally,” Aukot fired.
Aukot contrasted his political career with Odinga’s, pointing out that he had only lost one election, whereas Odinga had lost five presidential contests and the AUC chairmanship bid. He sarcastically suggested that Odinga deserved a place in the Guinness Book of Records for the most election defeats, highlighting the former Prime Minister’s electoral misfortunes.
“I will petition for Raila Odinga to enter the Guinness Book of Records as the person who has lost the most elections. Just do research on who has lost elections the most. I’m being this trivial because you stooped so low by discussing trivial matters over the most pressing issues in the country. ODM is a split party. It’s a transactional arrangement. I am happy to give you a ticket to my party because you are losing,” he added.
Sifuna to Aukot
Clapping back at Aukot, Sifuna asserted that his party, the Thirdway Alliance, holds little influence in Kenya’s political landscape. He emphasized that the party’s presence is negligible and unlikely to make an impact, even if it were to contest the 2027 elections without competition.
“Nobody thinks about your party, the Thirdway Alliance. You are insignificant in the country’s politics. We could let you run alone in the 2027 elections, and you would still lose,” Sifuna stated.
Political misfortunes
Odinga’s presidential losses date back to 1997 when he ran under the National Development Party (NDP) and finished third. In 2007, under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), he lost to President Mwai Kibaki in a disputed election that led to post-election violence and a subsequent power-sharing agreement, making him Kenya’s Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013.
In 2013, Odinga vied under the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) but lost to Uhuru Kenyatta. His petition challenging the election results was dismissed by the Supreme Court. He faced Kenyatta again in 2017 under the National Super Alliance (NASA), and although the Supreme Court annulled the election, Odinga boycotted the rerun, citing a lack of electoral transparency.
His most recent presidential bid in 2022, under the Azimio la Umoja coalition, ended in defeat to William Ruto. He challenged the results in court, but the Supreme Court upheld Ruto’s victory. In February 2025, Odinga suffered another setback when he lost the race for the AUC chairmanship to Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
