NAIROBI — Martha Karua, one of Kenya’s most enduring opposition figures, has entered the race for the 2027 presidency with a bold promise: she will serve just one term.
The leader of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) announced her candidacy at the party’s National Delegates Conference in Nairobi on Friday. She cast her decision not as an act of ambition but as a commitment to service and a test of democratic principles.
“Today, before you, I declare my candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic of Kenya in the next General Election under the banner of the People’s Liberation Party and within a united opposition,” Ms Karua said. “We make this declaration not out of mere ambition for office, but out of devotion to service.”
Ms Karua argued that five years were enough to lay a strong foundation for change, even if no single leader could fully resolve Kenya’s challenges. “Nobody will ever finish the job of making Kenya prosperous,” she said. “You lay a foundation and you wait for the next team to further it. So, I want to open by saying: I’ll be seeking one term.”
She framed her pledge as part of a wider effort to “demystify power,” saying African leaders often remain in office far too long. “People get to power and they refuse to leave,” she said. “Martha Karua, yours truly, is seeking a single term, one term.”
The veteran politician also unveiled plans for a new movement — One People, One Purpose, One Term — which she said would be launched in the coming weeks. Its goal, she explained, would be to rally Kenyans around integrity, justice, and accountability.
“Kenyans are hurting, and Kenyans deserve better,” she told delegates. “But let me say this clearly, we shall not walk this road alone.”
Her declaration is likely to intensify competition within the opposition, where several figures have signalled presidential ambitions. Among them is Rigathi Gachagua, leader of the Democratic Congress Party (DCP), who has already declared his candidacy.
For now, Ms Karua’s promise of a one-term presidency sets her apart, offering a challenge to Kenya’s political culture — and to her rivals.
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