People’s Liberation Party (PLP) Leader Martha Karua now wants Parliament to summon the country’s defence leadership following what he says is an “assault on constitutionalism” by Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Charles Kahariri.

This comes a day after CDF Kahariri, in an unusual move, warned Kenyans against the ‘Ruto must go’ campaign. While delivering his keynote address at the inaugural public lecture hosted by the National Intelligence Research University (NIRU) on Thursday, March 27, CDF Kahariri insisted that any tranfer of power must be within the confines of Kenya’s constitution.

But according to Karua, General Kahariri’s pronouncements are troubling and an affront to the Constitutions, because the head of the armed forces was playing partisan politics.

“It is therefore disturbing that the head of the armed forces should descend into the arena of partisan politics, and purport to direct Kenyans on how far they should exercise their hard-won liberties,” Karua said in a statement seen by TV47 Digital.

Karua says that the “Ruto must go” chants are part of a healthy feedback which President William Ruto and his administration must take it seriously. “They cannot be wished away by indirect threats or intimidation by our esteemed security men, who have no business cautioning or advising or admonishing Kenyans on their very lawful feedback.”

She advised that instead of making public pronouncements, General Kahariri should have expressed his concerns, if any, to the National Security Council where he, the Director of National Intelligence Service and the Attorney General are members.

“His unusual pronouncement is an unhealthy step towards partisan meddling with the politics of the day… The longstanding tradition of an apolitical military is a major guarantor of the stability and endurance of our democratic experiment.”

Karua insists that politics — especially when it is legitimately played — should be the least General Kahariri’s worries at a time when Kenya and the region are faced with multiple threat.

“We promised to strenuously pushback against this and any other attempt to undermine Kenya’s democratic progress,” the PLP leader warned.