Martha Karua: Why I would not work with Ruto

Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua.  [Samson Wire, Standard]

Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua says she wouldn’t work with President William Ruto due to his ‘micromanaging’ style of leadership.

Regardless of the quality of Cabinet Secretaries the president appoints, Karua opined that he would interfere with their ability to lead.

“I wouldn’t work for William Ruto. Whatever changes and whatever quality of people he gets, he will be the minister for everything. He will not let anybody work. I have the experience of working with these people in parliament. I know Raila is easy to work with. You can differ, but you can sit across the table and discuss it. There is no way I would accept working for William Ruto.”

Karua, however, noted that the president had not reached out to her when forming his broad-based government.

“They [Kenya Kwanza] didn’t ask me; they also know my position,” she said.

Despite the move by Odinga’s party to form a broad-based government with the ruling party, Karua says she and Odinga remain cordial.

“We remain friends, as one would say, but we differ on principle. We both knew that a day could come when we would differ on principles,” she said.

Karua has also reiterated that President Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua should heed the Gen Z call and resign, allowing the country to hold an election.

The Narc Kenya leader has accused the president of using diversionary tactics, pointing out that he dismissed his entire cabinet only for him to reappoint 10 of his former cabinet cabinet members.

"The Cabinet nominations are a diversionary tactic. Ruto got the message that the people want him to go and want a fresh start. His mandate was literally withdrawn. He (Ruto) then goes ahead to nominate (a new) Cabinet," she said.

She compares the broad-based government to a come-we-stay marriage, terming it as illegal and unconstitutional.

“While Generation Z has been demanding transparency and accountability, these appointments undermine those standards by aiming to breach the Constitution's design and diminish accountability…this will result in unconstitutional practices within Parliament,” she said.