Azimio la Umoja presidential running mate Martha Karua has said that Kenya is in a dangerous space and it is for this reason that she opted to work with Raila Odinga.
During a joint interview with TV stations on Tuesday night, Karua defended her decision to back Odinga, despite previously declaring that she and the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance presidential candidate did not share similar ideologies.
Karua stated that their union is the culmination of their collaboration in the fight for multi-party democracy and constitutional reform.
“We were competitors in 2013. And, if you are competitors, you go for it and your competition. This, is the only time we were strictly not on the same side. We come from the same background – from the trenches fighting for expanded democracy. But it does not mean that when you are on the same side, you must see everything 100 per cent, [or] the same way,” said Karua.
The Narc Kenya party leader added she has worked with the former Prime Minister for more years than they have been on opposing sides.
She explained that her earlier stance against Odinga before changing her mind about a running mate was not due to the adage that politics makes strange bedfellows, but rather to a recognition that their track record presents the best leadership in the fight against graft, promotion of social transformation, and good governance.
“In 2005, we were on two opposing sides; the banana and orange camps. In 2007 we were, again, not together. But we came together in the National Accord, and, worked well. In 2013, it was every person for themselves and God for us all, because we were both candidates. Shortly after that, in 2014, we worked together – Narc Kenya was a friend of CORD. We’ve worked together more than we’ve worked separately,” said Karua.
Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga added that he has more in common with Karua, compared to most people he has worked with in and outside government.
“In politics sometimes you disagree on interpretation of issues, that does not make you enemies so long as you have the same beliefs,” he said.
Raila and Martha also discussed, among other things, how they plan to reduce the cost of living and fight corruption.
