Martha Karua, The Only Man In Kenyan Politics

Martha Karua, Kenya's Minister for Justice and Constitutional affairs, today walked out of a Party of National Unity (PNU) parliamentary group meeting that was discussing the stand to take on the Waki Commission report. The meeting was being chaired by the Vice President, Kalonzo Musyoka. Apparently, she was angered and prompted to walk out when she adopted a stand that was at variance with her PNU colleagues. The overriding view, that has also been articulated by President Kibaki and the Vice President, is to shelf the Waki report, apparently for fear of a political fallout. This stand was also adopted by ODM MPs yesterday who have opposed the report as 'shallow', 'shoddy' and 'based on rumours'.

Martha Karua has previously been labeled the only man in PNU, in recognition of the role that she played in the negotiations that culminated in the signing of a cease-fire agreement between Kibaki and Raila. She was always at the forefront defending and articulating Kibaki's and PNUs position in the forum chaired by former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan. During the negotiations, she easily became the face of PNU's harshest defender, even being labeled a 'hardliner' by the ODM negotiators. She fought hard for what PNU managed to get out of the negotiations.

The agreement resulted in the cessation of hostilities between Raila's supporters, mainly drawn from ODM, and Kibaki's supporters, drawn from PNU and ODM Kenya, led by Kalonzo Musyoka. The hostilities, which occured immediately after Kibaki was declared President after the December 2007 elections, had resulted in the death of over 2,000 persons and hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes into internally displaced persons (IDP) camps mainly in Rift Valley and Central Provinces. The agreement also ushered in the Grand Coalition through which the two sides formed the government (GCG) on a power sharing basis.

Martha Karua has never shied away from articulating her positions on any issue, whatever feathers it could raffle. Like the decision to take Narc Kenya, an affiliate party of PNU, out of the PNU after differences occurred on the issue of holding party elections later this year. She is gunning for the presidency, having declared her interest for the seat in 2012 elections, using NARC Kenya as her vehicle.

Now she has gone against the political tide and called for the full implementation of the Waki report. While a majority of politicians have trashed the report, she has chosen to stick her head against their stand. But she should take comfort in knowing that she is not alone. Opinion polls carried out by TV stations yesterday have shown that the public sentiment is for the implementation of the report. This blogger also is of the view that the report should be implemented.

Is she the messiah that Kenyans have been waiting for deliverance from tribal bondage? Only time will tell.