2 Instances Karua Had Cringe Verbal Exchange With Odinga

2 Instances Karua Had Cringe Verbal Exchange With Odinga

Raila Odinga has been a prominent force in Kenyan politics for more than 30 years, and only a few people have had the chance to work directly with him and benefit from his extensive political expertise.

Martha Karua, the leader of the NARC Kenya Party, is among them. In 2022, Raila chose Karua as his running mate.

While many people believed they were part of a new alliance, this was not the case. The two have a political history that goes back over 20 years.

Karua’s book, Against the Tide, is a reflection on her work with Raila. She focuses on two instances in which they disagreed, putting light on his ability to move on.

Always a lovely time with the #SituationRoom on @SpiceFMKE this morning.

I bumped into my friend Prof @gitile_naituli and my lawyer @ochieljd #MarthaAgainstTheTide grab your copies at @NuriaBooks or Direct link in my bio pic.twitter.com/lIWIRvn2PV
— Martha Karua SC (@MarthaKarua) November 18, 2024

The first backlash happened in 2003, following Raila’s position on the death of Odhiambo Mbai, the then-chairman of the Devolution Committee during the constitutional review process.

Odinga claimed that the government assassinated Mbai, but Karua disagreed with him. Karua described Odinga’s statement as ‘reckless’ and challenged the former Prime Minister to prove his assertions.

“Though I was saddened by the murder of Mr. Mbai, I regarded Mr. Odinga’s statement as not only outrageous but also reckless. I challenged him on the floor of the House to substantiate his claims,” Karua stated.

At the time, both Raila and Karua were members of Parliament.

“As a Cabinet colleague, Mr. Odinga knew that we had not discussed or made a collective decision to harm, let alone murder, Mr. Mbai or anyone else.

“I believed that whoever committed the heinous crime of murdering Mr. Mbai, a champion of devolution at Bomas, could not have been acting on behalf of the government,” Karua recounted.

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As the two leaders departed the Parliament rooms, their quarrel became verbal.

Their second clash happened during the contentious 2007 presidential election when Raila competed against then-President Mwai Kibaki. Karua worked as Kibaki’s tallying agent at the KICC.

Despite their disagreements, the two leaders finally reconciled and resumed their working partnership.

“Mr. Odinga and I have worked on the same side as part of the nation’s progressive forces for more than three decades,” Karua noted in her book.

2 Instances Karua Had Cringe Verbal Exchange With Odinga