This looks like a boys' initiative - Martha Karua takes down tribal "kingship" narrative

This looks like a boys' initiative - Martha Karua takes down tribal "kingpin" narrative

Authors:

Miriam Mwende

March 9, 2021 1:58 PM

The "Iron Lady" did not come to play

Narc-Kenya party leader, Senior Council Martha Karua

Senior Counsel Martha Karua on Tuesday issued a statement condemning President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration over the tribal "kingpin" narrative.

While addressing the press along with the Linda Katiba team, the Narc-Kenya party leader stated that the narrative seemed to be a "boys' initiative".

"The state has sponsored a narrative that regional kingpins are the order of the day. We saw violence [during the March 4 byelections] and this violence, we believe, was deliberate and aimed at achieving an outcome which reinforces regional kingship.

"Regional kingship is being confined to the big 5 tribes in Kenya, who account for 65% of the population, we have the other 38 tribes forming 35%. Should the big 5 perpetuate themselves at the expense of the other tribes? No! It would mean that 'big boys' - and I'll deliberately call them 'boys' because this looks like a boys' initiative - from the 5 tribes will eat from the other tribes while others watch helpless," she elaborated.

Ms Karua went on to state that those advocating for the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) 2020 or the BBI Bill were far less than the number of Kenyans who will be affected by it.

"Those pushing the BBI project are less than 4,000. This includes all the elected leaders in the counties and national level and all civil servants at county and national levels. While Kenyan voters are over 20 million waiting to get informed so that they can make a decision.

"If we stand by, we will not have elections as we know it in 2022. We will have those in power - the President and his cronies - select for us or have the administration succeed itself," she urged.

Authors:

Miriam Mwende