NAIROBI, Kenya — People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has officially announced her intention to run for the presidency in the 2027 General Election. Addressing the party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) on Friday 26, September 2025, Karua made the distinctive promise that she would serve only a single five-year term if elected.
Karua framed her candidacy not around personal ambition but as a commitment to public service and a dedicated effort to restore integrity and trust in Kenya’s democratic institutions.
“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,” she announced. “We make this declaration not out of mere ambition for office, but out of devotion to service.”
Her single-term pledge is central to her message, aiming to “demystify power” in Kenya and across the continent, where leaders often cling to their positions.
“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 you wait for the next team to further it. So, I want to open by saying: I’ll be seeking one term,” she declared.
“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. People get to power and they refuse to leave. Martha Karua, yours truly, is seeking a single term, one term.”
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Karua emphasized that her agenda, focused on integrity, justice, and accountability, could establish a firm foundation within a five-year mandate.
She also announced that the opposition is planning to launch a wider movement in the coming weeks under the banner “One People, One Purpose, One Term.”
Karua affirmed her dedication to the nation’s welfare, stating, “Kenyans are hurting, and Kenyans deserve better. But let me say this clearly, we shall not walk this road alone,” as she called for citizens and fellow opposition leaders to rally behind her vision.
Karua’s announcement is expected to trigger a significant internal showdown within the opposition coalition, as DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua has also publicly declared his bid for the presidency.