Martha Karua tours Nyeri as charm offensive warms up region

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya presidential running mate Martha Karua yesterday took her vote hunting mission to Nyeri County on the fourth day of her Mt Kenya tour.

Speaking in Karatina, Karua said she is on a mission to convince residents to consider a Raila Odinga-Karua ticket come August 9. 

 “Today we are here to ask for your votes. Nobody can force you to vote for them but you can listen to us and what we have to offer then consider your decision,” she said. 

Nyeri is home to Deputy President William Ruto’s running mate Rigathi Gachagua.

 Karua said her focus is on making peaceful efforts to convince voters to support the Azimio team.

 “We may not agree but we can listen to each other, all of the candidates asking for votes are Kenyans and after the elections we are still going to live together in this country,” she said.

 Speaking in her mother tongue, Karua hit out at Gachagua, saying although he is from the region he could not be trusted. 

 “We all know that there is one child in our family who can be sent  to the shops with money and they will not return with the items,” she said.

 She said there were other children in the family who could be sent with money and were trustworthy to return on time and with the items.

“You know who that child is, he is still in the family but he is not trustworthy, but you can trust me to deliver on what you promise,” Karua, who is also Narc Kenya party leader, said.

She was accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries, Peter Munya (Agriculture) and Joe Mucheru (ICT), Senator Ephraim Maina, MPs Ngunjiri Wambugu (Nyeri Town), Gichuki Mugambi (Othaya),  Mpuru Aburi (Eala), and  Nyeri Deputy Governor Caroline Karugu. 

From Karatina, the Azimio la Umoja team then headed to Nyeri town, where local leaders also spoke to residents asking them to support the Raila-Karua ticket.