People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua has revealed little-known details of a phone call with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga regarding the state of the nation, particularly Raila’s role in President William Ruto’s government.
While appearing on NTV on Wednesday, July 23, Karua lifted the lid on the conversation, disclosing that she implored the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader to withdraw his support for Ruto’s administration.
Karua explained that she advised Raila to make the difficult decision, citing the loss of lives during protests witnessed under Ruto’s regime, which she accused the President of orchestrating.
While addressing reports that Raila had reached out to her and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka regarding dialogue talks, the PLP leader clarified that she was, in fact, the one who made the call twice: first to pass an undisclosed message, and secondly to urge Raila to reconsider his support for Ruto.
“After Saba Saba, I called him again, this time to ask him a question. I asked him, as a person who has, throughout most of his life, fought for Kenyans, how his conscience sits with the continuous blood-letting by the Kenya Kwanza (KK) regime,” she quipped.
“I told him I did not want a discussion, I just wanted to leave it with him. Is it not time for him to reconsider his support for the KK regime? Is it not time for him to withdraw? And I reminded him that without him, the regime would crumble,” Karua further narrated.
During the phone call, Karua disclosed that Raila had suggested a face-to-face meeting to discuss finer details of the national conclave that the former PM had proposed. However, the PLP leader, who was Raila’s running mate in the 2022 General Election, revealed that she had declined the invitation.
According to Karua, meeting with Raila would be used against her by Ruto’s camp as a ‘pacifier’ to calm Kenyans and distract them from addressing the pressing issues facing the nation, such as graft, the high cost of living, and poor governance.
On the 35th anniversary of the Saba Saba protests on Monday, July 7, Raila issued a call for a ‘national conclave’ to address Kenya's socio-political and economic crisis.
According to the ex-PM, the country was still grappling with the same issues that led to the emergence of the Saba Saba protests in the 1990s, such as economic hardship and human rights violations.
Raila argued that a national conclave would chart a new path for the country through civic engagement and economic reform.
At the same time, Karua refuted calls to hold dialogue talks with Ruto, adding that it was impossible to be part of what she described as a ‘blood-stained’ regime.
“Dialogue with the ‘rogue’ Kenya Kwanza administration is not an option,” she asserted.
Her remarks follow former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's statement, where he dismissed holding talks with Ruto, labelling him a pathological liar.
