Kirinyaga Woman Representative Jane Njeri Maina has backed Narc Kenya Leader Martha Karua for Azimio leadership in the event ODM leader Raila Odinga wins the African Union chairmanship slot.
During an ACK church service in Kirinyaga Central on Sunday, Njeri said Karua’s qualities make her an ideal person for the opposition outfit leadership.
She described the Narc Kenya leader as a woman of integrity saying her leadership over the years has been devoid of any scandal.
“We know Raila is the leader of Azimio. Martha Karua has been in leadership for a long and over the years I have not seen her implicated in any corruption scandal. She is a woman of integrity,” she said.
“I am privy to reports that Karua has expressed readiness to take over the Azimio coalition and I fully back her for the position.”
Njeri said it is time for the women to support each other for key leadership positions.
She challenged the Council of Governors Chair Anne Waiguru, through the G7 strategy, to back Karua for the Azimio leadership.
The G7 strategy brings together Kenya’s seven elected female governors.
They include Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga), Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Wavinya Ndeti (Machakos), Fatuma Achani (Kwale), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), Kawira Mwangaza (Meru) and Embu’s Cecily Mbarire.
They aim to work together to deliver the promise of devolution through socio-economic development, political strategy, good governance, accountability, access to Justice and institutional strengthening pillars.
They also aim to increase their re-election chances and improve the opportunity to elect more women governors past the two-thirds constitutional gender threshold.
Raila’s bid for AU chairmanship has left the top guns of the coalition angling to succeed him.
Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Karua have emerged as the most experienced members of the coalition set for a face-off on who will take over the Azimio leadership from Raila.
Their looming rivalry came to the fore on Friday after Karua fired back at Kalonzo for saying he was the best man to take over from Raila.
“My unsolicited advice to my brother Kalonzo Musyoka is to focus on marketing himself and leave the decision of who is best to the voters,” Karua said.
Kalonzo has set focus on 2027 polls maintaining that he must be on the ballot as a presidential candidate.
He has already hit the ground running with a recent tour of the Nyanza region signalling his desire to consolidate Raila’s support bases.
