The first Prime Minister of Australia, Edmund Barton, once said, “Creating a nation requires the will of the people.”
Some politicians join politics driven by personal conviction, but this conviction can do no good if it is not tempered with the will of the people.
One of the most experienced and principled politicians in Kenya today is former Justice Minister Martha Karua.
After an illustrious run as Gichugu MP for four terms, Karua decided to spread her wings and go against the will of the people. She run for President in 2013.
Three weeks ago, when she announced her decision to shelve her presidential ambitions, and go ahead and follow the will of the Kirinyaga people, she was welcomed back home by all.
But she appears not to have learnt from the 2013 loss, and is still unwilling to fully agree with the will of the Kirinyaga people, where she wants to be governor.
Last week, it was great to see her among the Kirinyaga leaders who welcomed President Uhuru Kenyatta to the county during his Central Kenya working tour.
The reaction by the President and the residents pointed to one thing — Karua has the goodwill of the people, that of Uhuru and the Jubilee Party leadership.
But as fate would have it, not having both her feet in the bus, in which the people of Kiranyaga are all in, snatched the microphone from her when Deputy President William Ruto asked her to address the gathering.
Her attempt to speak was drowned in shouts of “Jubilee! Jubilee!” The people made it clear that they had made up their mind.
Karua is a woman admired as a fighter. One who has in the past defended what she stands for, as witnessed during her years as MP as well as minister.
This was evident during the 2007 general election, when she defended President Mwai Kibaki’s election win at the KICC, and again during last week’s visit by the President, where she held up the Narc Kenya two-finger salute despite being booed.
It is clear that the people of Kirinyaga understand her strength not only as one of the foremost women in Kenyan politics, but also as a leader whose capability has been tested.
However, their shouting her down may not have been a sign of rebellion against her but a clear indication of where their hearts are in regards to political parties. Despite her conviction to stay in Narc-K, Karua must take the extraordinary step of joining Uhuru’s reelection vehicle — the Jubilee Party.
She must be seen to support the ideals of President Uhuru, which include bringing people together but she cannot claim to support his reelection yet does not support his resolve to kill individual and regional parties that have been a clear source of division in this country.
The former Gichugu MP should not feel guilty or lonely by dropping her resolve to remain in Narc-K.
She will be taking a path that has been followed by Peter Kenneth.
As it stands, Karua will not become the Kirinyaga governor if she runs on the Narc Kenya ticket.
She must do what PK did and run on the Jubilee Party.
Having taken the wrong path in 2013, she must critically consider her available options of making the same mistake or joining the winning team.
If she stays out of public office for another five years, it will even be harder for her to win any seat at all in 2022.
So if she really believes she has something to contribute to the people of Kirinyaga, joining JP is a small sacrifice to make.
She can continue championing good governance, inclusivity and accountability in the Jubilee Party because it shares these ideals with Narc Kenya.