On Saturday, December 6, 2003 then Water Resources Minister Martha Karua made headlines after she was carjacked alongside a Catholic priest in Nairobi at night.
The two were reportedly driving alone with no security when the incident occurred in the outskirts of Nairobi Town.
Karua and Father Dominic Wamugunda are reported to have been ambushed by a five-man gang as they waited for a gate to be opened in Kabete area at around 1:00 AM.
Media reports indicate that the gang robbed the two of their valuables including; golden earrings, mobile phones, and cash.
The thugs are said to have taken charge of the car and drove around before dropping the two around Waithaka area.
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The incident elicited massive reactions with most Kenyans questioning why Karua was travelling alone with the priest yet she had been allocated a security detail.
File image of Catholic Priest Fr. Dominic Wamugunda. [Photo: Courtesy]
When she returned to Parliament after the incident, her colleagues pressed her to explain the circumstances that led to the carjacking, but she remained tight-lipped, arguing that she was not obligated to explain anything to them as she was not on trial.
“Many MPs had been carjacked but they had never been required to give an explanation. I consider myself like many other Kenyans sharing security risks experienced by my constituents and citizens," Karua said back then.
According to Karua, having a security detail does not mean that she must use them all the time.
"Although I am privileged to have security guards, I am obliged to use them when I need them, and when I do not need them (security) I do not use them,” Karua was quoted.
Later, Fr Wamugunda divulged that Karua and he were on their way to his home where he intended to give the Minister a private document.
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