By John Majau
Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua says Mt Kenya region does not owe Kenyans any leadership debts and calls for the community to reciprocate by supporting a presidential candidate from another community were unfortunate.
Karua said it is unfair to demand all presidential contenders from the region to step down and support an aspirant from another tribe just because two of its sons have been elected president since independence.
She dismissed those pressuring voters from the region to vote an individual from another community just to reciprocate as “misguided tribalists who have no place in the modern world.” “President Kibaki and the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and retired President Moi were all elected to be the tenants of State House as individuals and not as a tribe, clan or family,” said Karua.
Tribal biases
She said the three were elected by Kenyans owing to their impressive record and vision among other credentials and not because they came from a certain community.
“No one owes Kenyans any leadership debts because Kibaki and Kenyatta were all elected on the basis of their performance and not the tribe,” the Gichugu MP said.
Speaking at Ruiri Methodist Church in Buuri, Karua challenged all presidential aspirants from the Rift Valley to step aside because the community also benefitted. She said the Rift Valley region benefited when they produced the second president following the death of Kenyatta.
“I strongly feel those making that demand are biased against us because they are not demanding for the same from the Rift Valley,” noted Karua.
She said the late Kenyatta and President Kibaki both held the presidency on their own personal capacity and not as a tribe, clan or family.
The presidential hopeful said she will not step down for anybody and vowed to ensure she goes all the way to the ballot. She said she will also not bow down to pressure by a section of leaders from the region who are pressuring her to step aside in favour of a single presidential candidate from the area. “Politics is like a shop where the owner markets his products and leaves the customer to pick the best and the most attractive without any undue influence from any quarters,” said Karua. She said it is ironical that some leaders are now demanding for the dissolution of certain parties yet Kenyans fought for multi-partism to allow many parties compete democratically and enable the most popular win.
“This is tantamount to returning the country backwards to the dark past. Kenyans should shun such retrogressive leaders who have no agenda for the country apart from their own selfish political gains,” Karua noted.
Poor discriminated
She regretted the country is composed of two distinct classes, the poor and the rich, with the latter getting everything on a silver platter while the poor suffer in poverty.
She said employment, contracts, justice and other goodies are dished out depending on social status and not qualifications and education as the Constitution demands.
“It’s unfortunate the poor are jailed in a record time when they are caught on the wrong side of the law even when they have committed a minor crime while tycoons’ cases get postponed all the time for lack of evidence,” she noted.
She said all Kenyans would be treated equally once she assumes power regardless of tribe or social status.
“Some leaders think and believe the country belongs to them only and are ready to milk its resources to the last drop without caring about others,” said Karua.
