PLP leader Martha Karua has urged President William Ruto to honour the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga not through ceremonial awards or political statements, but by embracing and implementing the values that defined Odinga’s lifelong struggle for the nation.
Speaking during an interview on Tuesday, Karua described Raila as a man who sacrificed personal comfort and family life in his relentless pursuit of justice, democracy, and equality for all Kenyans.
“Raila’s life, most of his life, was always in the trenches fighting for the people,” she said. “In fact, together with his family, it was a sacrifice that he involved the family. He was away from them many times because of his stand in fighting for his people.”
Karua, a longtime ally and fellow reform advocate, said that simply celebrating Odinga with medals or state tributes would not do justice to his legacy. Instead, she challenged President Ruto’s administration to demonstrate through action that the principles Raila lived and fought for remain alive in Kenya’s governance.
“To honour him is not just decorating him with medals posthumously,” she stressed. “It is actually ensuring that what he stood for is what is happening. Let us not have empty words — that is what I would tell William Ruto.”
Her remarks come as the country reflects on the towering political career of Odinga, whose decades-long fight for multiparty democracy and good governance left a deep mark on Kenya’s history.
Karua concluded by reminding leaders that Raila’s greatest tribute lies not in ceremonies but in service to ordinary citizens.
“Raila lived for the people. If we truly want to honour him, then let us also live for the people,” the vocal politician said.
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