Martha Karua Warns Against Killing Multipartism, Calls It a Betrayal of Raila’s Legacy

People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has cautioned that attempts to weaken Kenya’s multi-party democracy would amount to violating the Constitution and betraying the legacy of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Speaking on Tuesday during an interview with Spice FM, Karua reaffirmed her commitment to defending opposition politics, warning that eroding multipartism would undermine the democratic foundations Kenya was built upon.

“Killing multipartism would go against Article 4(2) of the Constitution, which declares Kenya a sovereign Republic and a multi-party democratic state,” she said. “We fought for this system, and it is constitutionally protected. Any effort to merge all political parties under one roof is not only unconstitutional but also a dangerous step backward.”

Karua added that if she had been given an opportunity to address mourners during Raila Odinga’s funeral, she would have reminded Kenyans that protecting political pluralism is the best way to honour his memory.

“The greatest honour to Raila is to uphold what he stood for — democracy, rule of law, and the freedom of association. Multipartism is part of that struggle. The government must stop violating those principles,” Karua emphasized.

Her remarks come amid growing speculation that the ruling Kenya Kwanza administration is courting the Raila-founded Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) with the aim of consolidating political power ahead of the 2027 elections.

Political observers have expressed concern that such moves could mark the return of a de facto one-party state, reminiscent of the period between 1964 and 1991, when the Kenya African National Union (KANU) dominated politics.

Kenya’s opposition politics has deep roots in the fight for democracy, dating back to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s Kenya People’s Union (KPU) in 1966, which was later banned by the government. The reintroduction of multipartism in 1991 paved the way for Kenya’s democratic rebirth, culminating in the 2010 Constitution, which entrenched plural politics as a core value of governance.

Karua’s firm stand underscores renewed calls to protect Kenya’s democratic space from political assimilation and authoritarian tendencies.