I would've rejected Cabinet nomination, I cannot work for Ruto - Karua

Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua now says she would have turned down the opportunity to join President William Ruto’s Cabinet if it had been presented to her.

Karua, speaking on Citizen TV’s ‘The Explainer’ show on Tuesday night, intimated that President Ruto is a micromanager and the appointment would just have been a formality, which would not have sat right by her.

She however went ahead to acknowledge that she was not approached to join the Cabinet in the recent shake-up that brought in members of the opposition Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition-allied ODM party.

“I wouldn’t work for William Ruto. Whatever changes and whatever quality of people he gets, he’s the minister for everything, he will not let anybody work. I have the experience of working with these people in Parliament,” she said.

“I know at least Raila is easy to work with; you can differ, but you can sit across the table and discuss it. There is no way I would accept to work for William Ruto. And they didn’t ask me, let me not pose like I was asked. They also know my position.”

Karua also criticised President Ruto for allegedly disregarding the demands raised by Kenyans during the recent anti-government demonstrations.

She took issue with President Ruto's decision to dismiss his entire Cabinet and later announce a list of new ministerial nominees, some of whom were retained from the previous administration.

Karua labeled the move a diversionary tactic employed by the Head of State to undermine the gains made by Kenyans following the anti-government protests.

"The Cabinet nominations are a diversionary tactic. Ruto got the message that the people want him to go and want a fresh start. His mandate was literally withdrawn. He (Ruto) then goes ahead to nominate (a new) Cabinet," she said.