Martha Karua meets Raila Odinga after ditching him
What you need to know:
When she was called up to the stage, she had passed by Mr Odinga’s chair, quickly shook his hand and went up to the pulpit condole with the family.
Mr Odinga never mentioned Mrs Karua when he rose to speak and both refused to speak to the press after the service.
- Mrs Karua on Thursday told her supporters in Kirinyaga County, where she is seeking the governor’s post, that she will not have a problem with them voting for President Kenyatta in 2017.
Cord leader Raila Odinga on Friday met Narc-Kenya head Martha Karua for the first time since she ditched him for President Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2017 State House race.
Mrs Karua, who invited the former Prime Minister to speak after her during service for Mama Peris Nyaboke Kegoro at Nairobi Central Seventh Day Adventist Church, called him “my friend and colleague.”
Mama Kegoro is the mother of Kenya Human Rights Commission Executive Director George Kegoro.
PRESS SNUB
When she was called up to the stage, she passed by Mr Odinga’s chair, quickly shook his hand and went up to the pulpit to condole with the family.
Mr Odinga never mentioned Mrs Karua when he rose to speak and both refused to speak to the press after the service.
Mrs Karua on Thursday told her supporters in Kirinyaga County, where she is seeking the governor’s post, that she will not have a problem with them voting for President Kenyatta in 2017.
DITCH GOVERNMENT
The former constitutional affairs minister and a dyed-in-the-wool defender of then President Mwai Kibaki, vehemently fought for the government in the negotiations for a coalition government with Mr Odinga after the disputed 2007 presidential election.
She would later ditch the government in 2009 after what she said was frustration in doing her work.
In 2013, she ran for the presidency and came a distant sixth, with only 43,881 of the vote.
But she would join the Odinga-led Cord to push for the removal of the Independent and Boundaries Commission for what they said was incompetence and a shambolic 2013 poll.
SUPER ALLIANCE
Talk was even rife that Mrs Karua would form a super alliance to try to ascend to State House in 2017.
After her announcement Thursday, Mrs Karua was bashed for ditching Mr Odinga.
“Kudos @MarthaKarua for your decision to support @UKenyatta. Like Peter Kenneth who came before you, you had no votes you were going to deliver to Cord. Bye!” Ford-Kenya deputy party leader and Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, tweeting as @KBonimtetezi, fired on Twitter.
Mrs Karua fired back: “I was never in Cord but merely working with opposition!”
GLOWING TRIBUTE
The Narc-Kenya leader on Twitter asked the Cord brigade to let her exercise what she said was her democratic right.
At the funeral service, the two leaders paid glowing tribute to Mama Kegoro, saying she had raised wonderful children.
Also present was Borabu MP Benson Momanyi, former minister Henry Obwocha, Justice Philip Waki, lawyers, and friends and family of the Kegoros.
Mama Kegoro will be buried on Sunday at her home in Nyarondo in Borabu constituency.
