Baba The 5th, It's Coming Home, Other Phrases That Went Viral In 2022 Polls

• The last year's General Election was Kenya's third after the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution
• Azimio's Raila Odinga and Kenya Kwanza's William Ruto were the top contenders in the presidential election
• Anxiety was in both camps as each claimed proximity to the presidential victory; Ruto was declared the winner of the vote

Nairobi - Today marks exactly a year after Kenyans went into the General Election to elect aspirants in six posts of power.

The president, 47 county governors, senators and woman representatives, 290 members of parliament, and 1,450 ward representatives were all elected on August 9, 2022.

Much attention was, however, on the presidential vote which attracted four hopefuls namely William Ruto, Raila Odinga, George Wajackoyah, and David Mwaure.

The top contenders were Raila and Ruto, the latter making his first stab at the seat.

Anxiety started building up during the days that tallying was being done.

Luminaries from both Azimio and Kenya Kwanza claimed the proximity to the victory, leaving their followers guessing with bated breaths who the winner might be.

Viral phrases in Kenya's elections

Several phrases flew from each camp as they held hopes high ahead of the official proclamation of the results by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati.

In the Azimio camp, Baba the 5th was mostly used.

This implied Raila would become Kenya's fifth president after Uhuru Kenyatta, Mwai Kibaki, Daniel Moi, and Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

Another phrase widely used was "It's coming home", this implying that the Raila-led side had secured the presidency.

"Mapema ndio best" was used in both camps as they called on Chebukati to hasten the national tally and declare the winner of the vote.

Mostly in Azimio, "fundi was suti" was common as they psyched themselves up with the thought that their preferred candidate had won the vote.

The tailor was to be contacted to make outfits they would wear on the swearing day.

"Hot air" would later come with a storm to overtake the other phrases.

Chief Justice Martha Koome used the phrase while dismissing the election petition Azimio had presented before the Supreme Court to challenge Ruto's victory.

On examining the evidence adduced before the seven-judge bench, Koome argued they did not satisfy the need to have the election annulled.

She therefore termed the evidence as 'hot air'.

Ruto's presidential win

The IEBC chairman in his proclamation declared Ruto as the duly elected president.

Ruto garnered 7,176,141 votes which was 50.49% of the vote; it surpassed the requisite 50% plus one vote to clinch the top seat in the hotly contested presidential election.

Ruto also got 25% of all the votes in 39 counties.

The constitutional demands that the winning candidate garners 25% of the votes in at least half of the total number of counties.

Raila, his political archrival, and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party presidential candidate, came a close second with 6,942,930 votes (48.85%).

The two presidential candidates had been in a neck-to-neck race since the tallying of votes began after the close of voting.

It was until August 15, six days after the vote, that Kenyans got the clear winner of the presidential contest after days of anticipation and anxiety.

Speaking while announcing the winner, Chebukati said:

"I Wafula Chebukati, chairman of IEBC hereby declares that Ruto William Samoei of ID Number 6847208 has been duly elected as President of the Republic of Kenya under the provisions of Article 138."