This archive report was first published on 13 August 2019.
Karua's Rigging Claim Faces Backlash from Jubilee Leaders ¶
On August 11, 2019, Martha Karua, the leader of the National Rainbow Coalition-Kenya (NARC-K), appeared on K24's Punch Line show, where she alleged that the Jubilee party rigged the 2017 general elections.
However, her claims were met with harsh criticism from Jubilee leaders, including Majority Leader Aden Duale and former Jubilee Party vice-chair David Murathe.
Aden Duale, who was a candidate in the Kirinyaga gubernatorial election, stated that Karua's claims were 'sheer lies.' He added that NARC-K never protested to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) or filed a petition with the Supreme Court on the alleged rigging and electoral malpractices.
David Murathe further dismissed Karua's claims, saying that she was simply seeking sympathy after exhausting court avenues to overturn the Kirinyaga Governor poll outcome.
Uhuru Kenyatta's win in the August 2017 poll was subsequently annulled by the Supreme Court on a split decision. Although Jubilee disagreed with the Supreme Court's decision, Uhuru and his running mate, William Ruto, agreed to participate in the October 2017 repeat poll boycotted by their main challenger, Raila Odinga of the National Super Alliance (NASA).
Martha Karua also made claims against retired President Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru, his deputy Ruto, and Raila, stating that Kibaki had used her to defend his controversial 2007 election win only to isolate her after securing victory.
