'Come-we stay marriage,' Karua criticises Raila-Ruto deal, insists ODM shouldn't be Opposition party

Karua who was Odinga's running mate in the 2022 Presidential election chewed out the former prime minister accusing him of betraying Kenyans by entering into what she referred to as 'a come-we stay marriage' with President Ruto.

Karua while speaking on Citizen TV's ‘The Explainer’ show on Tuesday faulted the manner in which the two leaders inked the deal which led to the absorption of ODM Party members into Ruto's Cabinet, saying it is unconstitutional and a violation of the law.

"Whereas the Gen Z have been asking for transparency and accountability, these appointments have lowered the bar because they seek to violate the design of the Constitution, they also seek to lower the bar on accountability," she said.

"This (broad-based government) is a come-we-stay marriage, it is illegal, it is unconstitutional and it will lead to unconstitutionality in the conduct of the business of Parliament."

Karua opines that ODM should have come out and relinquished its position as an Opposition majority party and allowed other affiliate parties to take over the role of the Opposition.

According to Karua, the Odinga-led ODM faction is seeking to enter into government through the 'backdoor' since the Azimio chief first denied his involvement with ODM MPs being nominated to Cabinet but later admitted that President Ruto sought him out after his former cabinet failed to deliver on its mandate. 

"A very interesting confession by my former boss... he first denied that ODM had entered government saying that they had entered as individuals. Now what he is saying is obvious that he actually nominated them and gave them over to the government," she noted.

"When the opposition or part of it enters government, they cannot enter through the backdoor. The law is very clear, the constitutional design is such that it recognises the majority side and the minority side is the Opposition."

She added, "ODM within Azimio was the leading Opposition coalition party and Azimio was the minority party. When ODM enters government and seems to deny through its party leader, then it wants to have its cake and eat it because it is going to be part of government and continue to hold minority seats that should be held by the next largest party, such as Wiper."

Karua argues that ODM is compromised and will not be able to hold the government accountable, especially in the National Assembly because of the members nominated to the Cabinet.

"The public accounts committees and the public invests committees which are supposed to be chaired via the standing orders by the minority side, we lower the bar on accountability," she noted.

"You can imagine an ODM person questioning CSs who were his party bosses just a minute ago. they may have relinquished their party posts but their relationship is of a senior person and a junior person within the party... even if they have left, that effect is there. ODM loses that moral right to hold to account or be a watchdog to CSs from their own party. That should be held by someone else."