Martha Karua, leader of the People's Liberation Party, revealed what she would have said at Raila Odinga's funeral in Bondo, stating 90 seconds would suffice. She criticized the treatment of opposition leaders at the event. Karua emphasized continuing Raila's fight for democracy and human rights.
Martha Karua, leader of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) and former running mate to Raila Odinga in the 2022 presidential election, spoke on a political segment on KTN television on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. She revealed the short but weighty message she would have delivered at Raila Odinga's funeral in Bondo, just days after the event.
Karua said 90 seconds would suffice to express her views on democracy, constitutional rule, and the values Raila defended throughout his life. “I would say that we fought for multi-party democracy which is now enshrined in the constitution, and therefore I will remain in opposition. Opposition will remain because the constitution allows it. Therefore, efforts to bring all parties under one roof are unconstitutional,” she said.
She added that the best honor for Raila is to uphold his principles and defend the multi-party system along with citizens' rights. “I would also say that the greatest respect we can give Raila is to follow his values and defend the multi-party system, along with people's rights. The government must stop violating human rights, abductions, torture, and any form of oppression,” she said.
Karua criticized the treatment of opposition leaders at the funeral in Nyayo Stadium and Bondo, though the government did well to accord Raila a state funeral. She said the government tried to own the event and sideline opponents, while Kenya is a multi-party nation and national events should be inclusive. The situation was slightly better in Bondo, where Kalonzo Musyoka mentioned names of some opposition leaders, but they were not officially recognized by government officials.
“I didn't need more than 90 seconds to speak. The truth I wanted to say doesn't require a long speech,” Karua added, reaffirming her firm opposition stance.