People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has defended her role during the disputed 2007 presidential election.

Taking to her official X account on the night of Sunday, March 15, 2026, the veteran politician stated that although she strongly supported former President Mwai Kibaki, she neither participated in election rigging nor supported violence.

Karua distanced herself from allegations of wrongdoing during the contentious election period, drawing comparisons between her role and that of other political agents involved in the process.

“I was a staunch Kibaki supporter but did not aid or abet rigging or cause violence the way @WilliamsRuto did, landing him at The Hague,” Karua said.

The former Justice Minister explained that her involvement in the election was limited to serving as a political agent for Kibaki, similar to the role played by Siaya Governor James Orengo for the then-opposition leader Raila Odinga.

“I was what @orengo_james was to @RailaOdinga, an agent,” she added.

2007 presidential election

Karua’s remarks have revived debate around the events surrounding Kenya’s highly contested 2007 presidential election, which triggered widespread unrest across the country and led to international investigations.

The violence that followed the election left more than 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, prompting the involvement of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Several Kenyan political figures, including William Ruto, faced charges related to the post-election violence, though the cases were later terminated due to insufficient evidence and witness challenges.

Karua’s statement comes amid renewed political discussions about the legacy of the 2007 election and the accountability of leaders involved during that period as the country heads into the 2027 general elections.

Known for her outspoken stance on governance and rule of law, Karua has consistently maintained that her role during the election was lawful and limited to supporting Kibaki within the framework of the electoral process.

Dragging Ruto

Although opposition leaders have been dragging President William Ruto into the 2007 chaos, politicians allied to him have been holding a contrary opinion.

Uasin Gishu County Woman Representative Gladys Boss Shollei recently dismissed the claim that Ruto was associated with the Kiambaa church attack during the 2007 post-election violence that led to loss of lives.

Speaking in a local TV interview on Monday, February 2, 2026, Shollei called out the members of the United Opposition who have continuously linked President Ruto to the burning of the church at Kiambaa in Eldoret, where more than 30 people were reported to be dead.

Shollei said the relevant authorities should be left to carry out the investigations and should not castigate the president because he was then serving as a Member of Parliament for the Eldoret North constituency at the time of the incident.

“It is wrong to blame Ruto for the attack on a church in Kiambaa during the 2007 post-election violence simply because he was the MP for Eldoret at the time. During that period, Ruto was at KICC defending the vote count for Raila,” Shollei said.