November 17, 2024

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Martha Karua set to complicate Azimio running mate equation

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Fur hours of intense negotiations saw Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua join President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja coalition, ending days of speculation over which side of the political divide she would join.

Just days after she said she was weighing her options, Ms Karua formally joined Azimio and endorsed Mr Odinga’s presidential candidature, sparking speculation on whether she was being considered as a possible running mate for the August 9 contest.

Should Mr Odinga choose her as his running mate, this will complicate the political arithmetic for his main rival, Dr William Ruto, who is expected to pick a running mate from the Mt Kenya region. It will also complicate the chances of other potential contenders within Azimio, like Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Mr Peter Kenneth and Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi among others.

Yesterday, Ms Karua said: “I am here to confirm that from today onwards, Narc Kenya and I are supporting the presidential bid of Raila without any equivocation”.

Before endorsing Mr Odinga, Ms Karua had sent mixed signals and had found herself “politically lonely” after her counterparts from One Kenya Alliance (OKA) joined Azimio a day after they signed a coalition document of their own.

In OKA, Ms Karua, Mr Musyoka, Kanu Chairman Gideon Moi, Mr Cyrus Jirongo (United Democratic Party), Mr Irungu Nyakera of Farmers Party and Ugenya MP David Ochieng (MDG party) had insisted that they would only agree to a pact on a coalition-to-coalition arrangement.

Sign That Martha Karua is Secretly Pushing to be Raila's Running Mate -  LitKenya

Her move sealed the fate of OKA after Mr Nyakera joined Dr Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance (KKA).

Earlier, Gatundu MP Moses Kuria had invited Ms Karua to be Dr Ruto’s running mate.

This is what he said in a tweet: “To my good friend and soul mate Hon Martha Karua. We cannot make ourselves ideal humans from clay. We can only live with the ones God gave us, with all their imperfections and frailties. Pick a side and put it on your Jersey.

Raila bags Karua - Jambo News Network

I look forward to an imminent Ruto-Karua ticket to save this country from eternal dynastic domination and give hope to millions of children who went to school barefooted. If you decide otherwise you will still remain my sister, my senior, and my friend”.