Martha Karua is often touted as the Iron-lady in Kenyan politics. This is because, it was Martha Karua who walked out on former dictator Daniel Arap Moi meeting when it was dangerous to do so.
Karua, a former MP for Gichugu and Narc – Kenya Party Leader’s star was soiled when she defended the rigged 2007 General elections that led to the Post Elections Violence (PEV) that spilled over to 2008.
Yesterday, Ms. Karua was speaking to Anne Kiguta of K24TV taking about an array of issues, chief among those her (Karua’s) loss to Kirinyaga Governor Anne Mumbi Waiguru in the 2017 gubernatorial contest.
Ms. Karua termed the successive court decisions, upholding Waiguru’s win as unjust.
This morning, blogger Disembe Dikembe wiped the floor with her by purring the issue of 2007 in perspective.
Here is what Disembe said.
1/ Rigging in Mt. Kenya started in 2007. It was former Kiambu Governor and Juja MP at that time William Kabogo who first courageously called it out after losing unfairly to the late George Thuo. That’s because Mt. Kenya became very “violent” to opposition supporters. No region in Kenya post-2007 remains such a “no go zone”.
2/ Opposition supporters in Mt. Kenya were at a higher risk of ethnically inspired violence and ostracization. Working for Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party at Orange House, a Nyeri trader (woman) who was recruiting potential polling agents for ODM found villagers surrounding her home to burn it.
3/ Another told us her family – which had supported the (Jaramogi) Odingas since Kenya People’s Union (KPU) days- was always referred to as Luos (derogatorily) and while her village had grown to accept their political choices, problem was that save for the older people, the young ones were always threatened…
4/ I remember in both 2013 and 2017, it was next to impossible to find people to even act as agents for ODM in Mt. Kenya. Yet, surprisingly, the Mt. Kenya delegation was also the highest during ODM NGC at Kasarani, with Mumbi Ngaru and the Rubias leading way…
5/ A lady friend (former classmate at Moi) called and told me soon after the voting ended that she voted for Raila/ODM. However, she was surprised that in her polling station, Raila didn’t get a single vote.
6/ Later she was informed Raila’s votes in Mt. Kenya were being counted as “spoilt votes”, all with connivance of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials. Remember in 2013 it was also discovered that Peter Kenneth votes were being counted for Uhuru!
7/ While it is a fact that the Kikuyu are the most pupulous ethnic group; and the most politically aware, and the most versatile in voting; the extent of rigging in the region has made it almost impossible to tell with certainty the voting strength of Mt. Kenya.
