Karua to Ruto: Stop using goons, leave office if Kenyans no longer want you!

People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has accused President William Ruto of using goons to suppress opposition and settle political scores, urging him to leave office if he has lost the support of Kenyans.

Speaking in South Ngariama, Murinduko Ward in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, Karua said Kenyans do not want a political environment characterised by violence and intimidation.

“If you know Kenyans do not want you, it is you who should leave this country, not us,” Karua said, drawing applause from residents.

Karua accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of sponsoring attacks on opposition rallies, claiming goons are often deployed alongside police officers to disrupt protests and assault demonstrators.

“Nairobi goons are brought whenever there are protests, armed with rungus. I have never seen a time when police officers move together with goons. This is the first government of goons moving with goons, goons beating people and destroying their property as police watch and stand,” she said.

The former Justice Minister likened the alleged goons to militias such as Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Janjaweed, accusing the government of adopting tactics that threaten the safety and rights of citizens.

Karua also urged police officers not to allow themselves to be used to suppress Kenyans, asking them to remain guided by the Constitution in carrying out their duties.

“Please, you are our brothers and sisters, don't be used to make us refugees. Protect our people the way police did in Ol Kalou,” she said.

She further took issue with President Ruto and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over what she termed attempts to shift responsibility for police excesses, arguing that the Head of State bears the ultimate responsibility for protecting all Kenyans.

Karua, who was accompanied by PLP supporters and political aspirants, including former Kirinyaga Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri and Prof. Peter Kagwanja, said she would continue advocating for human rights both in Kenya and beyond the country's borders.

She recalled her recent deportation from Uganda, where she had travelled to represent opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, suggesting that the incident could not have happened without the knowledge of the Kenyan government.

“There was no way somebody of my class could be brought back from Uganda without our President knowing,” Karua said.

She also accused East African governments of working together to suppress the rights of citizens in the region, citing her experience in Uganda and recent events in Tanzania.

“How could I be brought back yet I have an East African passport? I have to deal with them to stop abusing the rights of East African people. They have cooperation, you saw what happened in Tanzania,” she said.

Karua also revived past controversies surrounding President Ruto, reminding him of his appearance before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and warning that developments involving witnesses could potentially reopen the matter.

The PLP leader maintained that she would not be intimidated from speaking out against what she described as violations of human rights, saying she would continue challenging the government both locally and internationally.