In her memoir, Against the Tide, Martha Karua reflects on the mutual mistrust between President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga during the contentious referendum period. She believes that dialogue and compromise could have resolved the dispute over adopting a parliamentary or presidential system.
Karua criticizes then-Justice Minister Kiraitu Murungi for not leading a robust campaign to support the Wako Draft, which was rejected under Raila’s leadership. She notes that while Kibaki-aligned ministers campaigned, Kiraitu did not take charge as expected. Despite her Water Ministry role, Karua actively pushed for the draft’s approval.
She admits leadership failures, citing the inability to set aside personal differences for the nation’s benefit, which not only led to the draft’s rejection but also deepened national divisions.
Karua also attributes the Kibaki administration’s inaction on corruption to the President’s reliance on his inner circle, whom she claims he felt indebted to after their support during his recovery from illness.
