Karua accuses government of sponsoring chaos to cling on power

People's Liberation Party leader Martha Karua. [David Gichuru, Standard] People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has accused the government of sponsoring violence during recent protests as a strategy to stay in power. Speaking on Spice FM on Tuesday, July 1, Karua claimed the state was enabling terror by hiring goons and using excessive force on peaceful demonstrators. "It is when a regime ceases to rely on the law enforcement agencies, and on lawful means and hires goons, it signals the imminent fall of that regime, and that the country is being set up for anarchy. Then you hear a cabinet secretary say that there would be no elections in 2027. The people of Kenya are being terrorized by those who are supposed to protect them, and the taxes they pay are being used to terrorize them," she said. Karua questioned whether the government was intentionally creating chaos to justify declaring a state of emergency. "Are they setting us up for anarchy so that they can declare a state of emergency to perpetuate themselves? Because from the looks of it, all over Kenya, people are saying no to this rogue regime. And I keep saying the word 'Ruto must go.' It's not Ruto alone-Ruto is the head of the regime-so people are saying Ruto and his entire complement," she added. She also accused the police of working with criminals to discredit the Gen Z-led protests and spark violence. "About the police stations that were burnt, every government installation is guarded by uniformed police, from the administrative police unit. In all those videos, we didn't see any of them, and I have been wondering-did the police give way to the goons who set fire? Like the most graphic case is the Nyandarua one," she said. Karua criticised the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) for failing to act on Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen's controversial "shoot to kill" directive. "NCIC, why do we pay you? You summon people who are merely expressing themselves. How have you not summoned Kipchumba Murkomen for the shoot-to-kill order?" she posed. She further called for the release of detained youth activists and human rights defenders, accusing the authorities of targeting innocent voices while protecting actual perpetrators. "Stop arresting youth who have been vocal, stop arresting human rights champions trying to frame them. We saw the goons; we saw you walk with them. Release the activists who are arrested and go for the people you sent, because you know them by name," she said, describing the government's actions as treasonous. "To this rogue regime, I would say you are treasonous. You are trying to overthrow the Constitution of Kenya passed by the people of Kenya, and by which you swore to abide, by which actually gave you the positions that you hold-when you abduct people, when you shoot to kill," she said. Referring to the police shooting of Boniface Kariuki during the June 17 protests, Karua condemned the officer's apology on TikTok. "...But Boniface comes to mind because he was shot to be killed, because he was shot at point blank range, and the officer went for his head, and he is now on TikTok saying sorry. Why is he not before a court of law?" she asked. Responding to President William Ruto's question on how he should leave office, Karua said: "Dr Ruto asked how I should go? Take the same route you took to come to where you are. You could either resign. If you respected the people-the-voice of the people-if you were a democrat, you would resign by now with your entire government." "You would go home. But because you will not, the people will remove you, either in 2027 or earlier, because if they continue killing people, people can exercise their option. You will kill just like you are killing, but you will not kill everyone." Martha Karua: Dr. Ruto asks, 'How should I go?' Take the same route you took to get where you are. If you truly respected the voice of the people, you would have resigned by now. But because you won't , whether in 2027 or earlier , the people will remove you. You may continue to... pic.twitter.com/pJ07Rj1IMv - SpiceFM (@SpiceFMKE) July 1, 2025 She warned that extrajudicial killings would not quell public dissent. "Dr William Ruto, you and your rogue regime will not survive the will of the people. You can shoot as many, you can kill as many, but you will not be able to annihilate the entire nation," she said. Karua likened the Kenya Kwanza administration to the repressive KANU regime under President Daniel Moi, saying it was even worse. "Although I now think, William Ruto, with the new constitution-the 2010 constitution-is surpassing the KANU regime. I think he is worse than the KANU regime. We are now in the eclipse day, if those were the dark days," she said, urging older generations to stand with Gen Z in defending democratic gains. "I just want to say to us Kenyans, we can't leave it to Gen Z alone. You and I have a role to play. Together vow not to allow this rogue regime to destroy what we have built, and we must vow to usher in a regime that will be able to help us rebuild Kenya," she said.

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Karua accuses government of sponsoring chaos to cling on power

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