People’s Liberation Party (PLP) party leader Martha Karua has claimed that the 2022 Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition presidential flag-bearer Raila Odinga sidelined the Mt. Kenya region during the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) talks.

Speaking on Monday, March 10, 2025, during an interview with a local radio station, Karua said that Raila had approached the Azimio co-principals and informed them about the talks with the ruling Kenya Kwanza government, but some of them were not willing to engage President William Ruto.

For instance, Karua says she told Raila that she would not be part of the Azimio committee that would dialogue with Kenya Kwanza.

Karua on sidelining Mt Kenya

However, she argues that Raila sidelined the Mt Kenya region when he eventually formed the Azimio committee that was to engage in the talks with a team from the Kenya Kwanza side.

As a result, she recommended Jubilee party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, but he was still not considered in the main committee but was included in the technical team instead. This, Karua says, happened despite Raila’s team agreeing to include Kioni in the committee when the dialogue would begin.

‘Kinara wangu wa wakati huo Raila aliniambia kuwa iko mazungumzo. Kusema ukweli alikuja akatuambia kuna wengine wetu hatukuwa tunaridhika na mimi nikamwambia kutoka mwanzoni, sitaki kuwa miongoni mwa wale watakaa kwa hiyo meza. Nilikuwa nimejiondoa lakini wakati alibuni hiyo kamati na hakuweka mtu hata mmoja kutoka Mt Kenya, nikamwambia ongezea Kioni, wakakataa wakasema watamuongezea mazungumzo ikiwa imeanza lakini hakuongezwa, aliekwa kwa dirisha. Dirisha ni technical team, kwa sababu hauko kwa meza, uko kule mbali, kama ingekuwa jikoni ni harufu ya upishi tu ndo itakufikia hapo nje,’ Karua said.

Karua on NADCO report

Karua went ahead to state that when the NADCO report was finally released on December 7, 2023, she was not satisfied, and made it clear when she addressed a press conference to dismiss the report.

The former Justice and Legal Affairs minister further warned Kenyans that there is no way they are going to benefit from the NADCO report.

According to her, the NADCO report is meant to benefit political bigwigs with more positions in government. She argues that Kenyans had complained about the cost of living, but it was not included in both the NADCO report and the recently signed joint working framework between Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Raila’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

“Kwa hivi mimi sikuridhika na hayo mazungumzo na wakati NADCO report ilikuja tarehe saba Disemba mwaka wa 2023 wakati huo tukiwa Narc Kenya, tulisema wazi tukatoa press conference yakwamba tumekataa hiyo makubaliano ya NADCO. Na mimi nakwambia Mkenya hadi wa leo usiambiwe yakwamba NADCO ni muhimu kwako. Hiyo ni kazi kwa vigogo. Mambo yako ilikuwa ni gharama ya maisha na haiko kwa NADCO na haiko kwa ile mkataba,” Karua said.