NAIROBI, Kenya – People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has officially joined the race for Kenya’s presidency in the 2027 General Election, pledging to serve only one term if elected.
Speaking Friday at the party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC), Karua said her candidacy was not driven by personal ambition but by a mission to restore trust in democratic institutions and reshape Kenya’s political culture.
“Today, before you, I declare my candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic of Kenya under the banner of the People’s Liberation Party and within a united opposition,” she told delegates.
Karua, a long-time opposition figure and former Justice minister, said her five-year agenda would focus on laying a firm foundation for good governance, integrity, and accountability.
She argued that no leader can completely solve Kenya’s challenges in one term, but insisted a committed administration could reset the nation’s course.
“I believe that in five years it is possible to lay a foundation. Nobody will ever finish the job of making Kenya prosperous. You lay a foundation and wait for the next team to further it,” she said.
Her single-term pledge, she added, was meant to “demystify power” in a region where leaders often cling to office.
“So that others don’t think ‘one term’ is an insult, I stand before you to tell you that we must demystify power in Kenya, in East Africa and in Africa,” Karua declared. “Martha Karua, yours truly, is seeking a single term.”
The PLP leader also announced plans to roll out a new movement dubbed “One People, One Purpose, One Term” in the coming weeks, designed to rally Kenyans around unity, integrity, and justice.
“Kenyans are hurting, and Kenyans deserve better. But let me say this clearly, we shall not walk this road alone,” she said, calling on citizens and opposition leaders to rally behind her vision.
Karua’s announcement sets the stage for an intense contest within the opposition, where Democratic Change Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has also declared his presidential bid.
